JOHOR BARU, July 15 — The downstream oil and gas (O&G) and petrochemical sectors are currently facing a shortage of over 20,000 workers for maintenance and operation works of related plants in the country, according to Johor Petroleum Development Corporation Bhd (JPDC).
Acting chief executive Izhar Hifnei Ismail said this situation might be due to a lack of information on how to acquire the necessary skills training required by the industry.
Therefore, he said graduates are urged to consider entering the industry through skills enhancement and reskilling programmes, including those provided by JPDC such as the Skills in Oil and Gas (Soga) programme, which includes 45 technical courses related to plant maintenance.
He said these courses covered maintenance, repair and refurbishment works, safety management and energy management, all of which are essential for ensuring the smooth operation of plants in the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC).
“Moreover, this field of work offers broad job prospects not only in Malaysia but also in countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Canada and the United States,” he said during a media briefing for the Mega Gerak Kerjaya MyFutureJobs Johor 2023 programme here today.
Izhar Hifnei said JPDC has trained nearly 6,500 workers in the downstream oil and gas and petrochemical industries through the Soga programme and the “Bridging Gaps” Programme with funding support from the Ministry of Economy.
He said the Soga programme not only equipped workers with the required competencies but also provided mandatory certifications related to the job requirements of downstream oil and gas companies in PIPC or other locations in Malaysia.
Izhar Hifnei said JPDC is also developing training modules and courses based on the specific skills needed by companies and these courses are conducted by 15 public technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions.
“The Bridging Gaps programme focuses on providing work experience training for graduates in technical and engineering fields.
“They have the opportunity to acquire skills and enhance their understanding of the roles of refinery engineers, field engineers and maintenance engineers in the oil and gas plant environment,” he said.
On the Mega Gerak Kerjaya MyFutureJobs Johor 2023, he said the two-day event, until tomorrow, garnered a total of 11 companies involved in downstream O&G and petrochemical industries.
He said nearly 300 job opportunities have been offered by these companies, including Malaysia Marine Heavy Engineering Sdn Bhd, Lotte Chemical Titan (M) Sdn Bhd, Cenviro Sdn Bhd, Elektro Serve (M) Sdn Bhd and Global Facilities Management Sdn Bhd. — Bernama
