Keetmanshoop VTC set for oil and gas training upgrade

The Namibia Training Authority (NTA) and the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation (OPITO) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen skills development and workforce capacity in Namibia.

The agreement, signed at the British Embassy in Madrid, Spain, in the last week of August, establishes a partnership between the NTA's mandate for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and OPITO's expertise in safety, skills and competency standards for the global energy industry. OPITO operates a network of 240 approved training centres in more than 50 countries, with about 500,000 people trained to its standards each year, and the agreement comes as Namibia develops its petroleum industry and seeks to ensure that Namibians have the skills needed to participate in emerging opportunities in the sector.

Focus - A key focus of the partnership is to develop the Keetmanshoop Vocational Training Centre (KVTC) as an OPITO-approved oil and gas training centre.

This could expand access to internationally recognised training in Namibia while strengthening technical capacity and safety standards. OPITO chief executive Stephen Marcos Jones described the agreement as an investment in Namibia's workforce and long-term economic development. He said the partnership was intended to connect international expertise with Namibian institutions and build local capacity.

Tobias Nambala, general manager for TVET Regulations and acting general manager for Transformation at the NTA, said developing KVTC as an OPITO-approved centre would require the necessary facilities, equipment, systems, qualified personnel and quality-assurance arrangements to meet OPITO standards. “This is therefore not simply about introducing additional courses. It is about building institutional capability that can deliver training aligned with internationally recognised industry standards,” he said.

Long-term drive – Nambala emphasised that the initiative was a long-term capacity-building process rather than an immediate development. “The MoU gives the NTA and OPITO a framework within which to do the detailed work required, including identifying priorities, responsibilities, timelines and implementation requirements,” he said.

The partnership would help develop relevant skills locally, strengthen public training institutions and prepare Namibians for opportunities in the energy sector. The initiative also supports broader efforts to increase local participation and human capital development in Namibia's upstream petroleum industry. “Namibia’s oil and gas resources will have much greater developmental value if Namibians have the skills and competencies required to participate meaningfully in the industry. The aim is to strengthen local institutions so that more training and skills development could eventually take place in Namibia,” Nambala said. 

Once the required development and approval processes were completed, the initiative could also give Namibians greater access to internationally recognised oil and gas training without having to travel abroad. Nambala said the emerging industry would require not only academic qualifications but also technical competence, safety awareness and practical skills. 

Decentralised training – For the ǁKaras Region, the partnership could strengthen Keetmanshoop's role as a skills-development centre serving regional and potentially national demand. “Specialised skills-development opportunities do not necessarily have to be concentrated in Windhoek or at the coast. We want our regions and vocational training centres to participate meaningfully in the opportunities presented by new and emerging industries,” Nambala said.