Abstract
The oil and gas industry is evolving, in response to technological advancement, and the
industry is embracing digital technology, in terms of automation and artificial
intelligence in its operation. Today’s workforce more than ever before, requires advanced
skills to be able to perform efficiently in the industry due to this shift in technology. The
aim of this paper is to highlight various roles and responsibilities that the Petroleum
Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Nigeria, plays in high technological training and skills,
as well as human resources development for the oil and gas industry. The study relied on
modern organizational theory, along with quantitative and qualitative data generating
methods, based on Focus Group Discussions and interviews. Participants were drawn
from five selected oil and gas companies in the Niger Delta region. An assessment of the
contributions of PTI, in developing the required skilled manpower for the oil and gas
industry in Nigeria, and beyond was provided in the study, based on findings of the focus
group discussions. Insights into the effectiveness of PTI and identified areas for
improvement in delivering high technological training skills, and producing competent
workforce professionals, were highlighted. Weaknesses of the Institute, with identified
areas for improvement, were also reported. Our recommendation is that the Institute
should incorporate emerging technologies, sustainability practices, industry demands
and other global perspectives into its curricula and training methodologies, to meet future
industry and national oil and gas industry career challenges.