A custom-built CompEx training facility has been shipped from the UK to Apave Ghana Inspection to develop highly-skilled, competent electricians for the country’s rapidly expanding oil and gas industry.
The facility, which is located in Takoradi at Apave Ghana Inspection’s Training Centre, is Ghana’s first ever CompEx training centre and it will train and assess Ghanaians and all interested parties in the region in internationally recognised electrical skills for explosive atmospheres. This is a key competency required in oil and gas and is in high-demand from Ghana’s growing oil and gas industry. Previously, anyone requiring the qualification would need to have travelled outside of Ghana to one of only three CompEx centres across Africa or to the UK.
Designed and fitted-out in the North of England by 3t Energy Group, the facility was fully audited and accredited by CompEx in the UK prior to being transported to Apave Training Centre in Ghana. It comprises two 40 feet-long modified freight containers, with internal training spaces tailored to electrical training and assessments in hazardous environments.
The first highly successful CompEx assessments have already been delivered at the centre. In another industry first, these have been successfully delivered remotely to take account of Covid-19 restrictions. Following teaching of the theoretical aspects of the course by 3t personnel in a dedicated classroom at Apave's facility, the practical assessment was carried out with an assessor based in the UK watching and assessing activity via multiple cameras.
Maja Todorovska, Head of QHSE and Training at Apave said: “This is an important project which will see us bringing highly specialised technical training and skills to Ghana and its local oil and gas sector. The oil and gas industry in Ghana offers huge employment opportunities within local communities and we want to help the Ghanaian people develop vital skills to support the industry as it grows now and in the future. Along with our existing training facilities, we are helping oil and gas companies to access skilled labour locally rather than looking further afield.
“3t Energy Group was the ideal partner to help us deliver this project. They designed and built a complete modular training solution to meet the needs of local oil and gas employers in Ghana and supported us through the process of gaining accreditation, establishing the centre in-country, providing skilled instruction and training our own team of instructors going forward. We are planning to continue this invaluable relationship as we look to extend the competencies and expertise of Ghanaians further.”
Alan Sharp, who headed up the project for 3t Energy Group said: “Through our 3t Energy Group company, AIS Survivex, we have unrivalled expertise and a rich heritage in successfully delivering fully accredited, industry-leading training for more than a decade. Using this extensive experience, we have developed this world-class CompEx training and assessment centre for Apave, which was completed quickly and effectively. Within this centre local people will be able to gain invaluable, tailored skills for industry and employers will be able to source the skilled and competent workers they need. This is likely to have far-reaching social and economic consequences for good and help individuals and companies throughout Ghana.”
Huw Bement, Director of CompEx, added: “It’s fantastic to see the collaborative efforts to successfully deliver the first ever CompEx training centre in Ghana, a key region for CompEx going forward. AIS Survivex, part of the 3t group, has a long standing CompEx training centre in its own right and I am confident that with this expertise and the well-established experience of Apave the courses will prove popular.”
