The Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, and the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, PETAN, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU that will make creating employment for young and qualified graduates as part of the conditions for winning oil and gas contracts.

The two organisations signed the agreement, tagged: NCDMB-PETAN Capacity Building Internship Programme, during the Practical Nigerian Content Conference held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State last week.

The Executive Secretary, Mr. Ernest Nwapa, signed for the Board, while PETAN Chairman, Mr. Emeka Ene, signed for the service companies’ association.

Under the MoU, PETAN companies will make commitments in the form of plans that they will recruit qualified Nigerian graduates.

The NCDMB will issue certificates to the service companies on receipt of the plans and the commitments will count alongside other variables in the evaluation of bids by service companies for industry contracts.

Thereafter, NCDMB and PETAN will recruit qualified Nigerian graduates and expose them to various training and skills development workshops, and on-the-job training to prepare them to work in the course of the contracts and gain employment.

PETAN companies will then absorb the trainees once they win the contracts and retain them after the internship phase based on their performances.