Namibia currently meets only 45% of the skill requirements for its oil and gas industry, according to research conducted by Deloitte and endorsed by the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
Deloitte’s country leader, Melanie Harrison, highlighted that out of 218 job types in demand, 143 are present in Namibia.
However, there is a significant gap between the qualifications available and the specialized skills needed for the sector’s growth.
“We mapped these job types to qualifications and assessed data from universities and vocational training centers in Namibia,” said Harrison. “Our findings show a surplus of qualifications in general support roles but a critical shortage in technical positions specific to oil and gas.”
The report also noted that while general support qualifications are sufficient, the lack of technical skills in oil and gas remains a pressing issue.
Petrofund, a key player in the sector, is working to address this by exploring ways to enable more Namibians to acquire the necessary qualifications to meet future industry demands.
This research was conducted as part of planning and preparation for Namibia’s future in the oil and gas sector, despite the country not yet reaching the stage where such research is typically carried out.
