How Engineering Graduates can deal with Employment Challenge – Especially in Oil and Gas fields

As a graduate of petroleum engineering, and a one-time applicant, I can easily say that this is the most competitive engineering course in Nigeria. The country produce thousands of graduate engineers annually, but the major challenge is that the field is very narrow. Unlike other engineering disciplines, it is either you work in an oil industry or you are out of your field of study.

Think about it; how many Nigerian universities offer Petroleum Engineering as a course of study?

• Federal University of Technology Owerri
• University of Ibadan
• University of Benin
• University of Lagos
• University of Port-Harcourt

Since we are not fond of statistics in the country, I can’t state the average number of students in these schools studying petroleum and related engineering courses. But by mere observation, we can safely assume that they are in the thousands.

In my university days, 2002 -2006 session, I had over 300 course mates most of whom have abandoned their field to work in banks, pharmaceutical, education and other unrelated industries. As for me, I ended up a writer, web developer and web marketing strategist for businesses – after moving from several fields like building construction and education agency /consulting service.

The competition

I remember one of my course mates confessing how intimidated he was when he met a graduate from PTI – Petroleum Training Institute Warri. Those students at PTI and other technical institutes learn more practical and applicable skills than we do in our typical universities. And that sets them at advantage when competing for practical jobs in the petroleum industry.

Those of our counterparts who eventually get a job in oil and gas companies are either:

1. Lucky
2. Have the contacts or
3. Have advanced training beyond their B.Eng – No, I’m not talking about Masters degree.

As an engineer, if you are to be among the few and highly favored who eventually get a job in the oil and gas section, then you need one or all of the above factors. Interestingly, you can increase you luck, contacts and chances of getting a job in the petroleum industry by doing one thing; participating in advance training in oil and gas industry. And doing it in an environment where you can develop contacts with industry practitioners.

Fortunately, there are several oil and gas-related training programs to undergo and stand out from the thousands of competing job seekers. One of such recommended training is Non-Destructive Testing -NDT.

Non-destructive testing (NDT) is a wide group of analysis techniques used in science and industry to evaluate the properties of a material, component or system without causing damage. As a petroleum engineering student, you should have done this during one of your courses on Oil and Gas Exploration.

Because NDT does not permanently alter the material being inspected, it is a highly valuable technique that can save both money and time in oil and gas evaluation, exploration and maintenance. Common NDT methods include ultrasonic, magnetic-particle, liquid penetrant and radiographic.

NDT is commonly used in oil and gas exploration and is a much needed service in the sector. Participating in NDT certificate training program will offer you more added advantage over your contemporaries.

ASNT Certification is the most recognized credential for NDT. ANST certification has been the standard for the Non-Destructive Testing industry for nearly half a century. ASNT is accredited as a third-party certification body by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

How to enroll for NDT training

There are few companies offering NDT training with ASNT certification in Nigeria. One of such companies is Mound Inspection Nigeria Limited. This company offers NDT training with ASNT certifications.

ASNT/NDT Training In Lagos, Nigeria

Mound Inspection is currently accepting new entrants for an ultra Modern practical NDT training and ASNT Certifications. This training is intended for inspection Engineers/technicians who are already practicing or engineers who want to get into the exciting, rewarding and rapidly expanding field of NDT.

The date for the next training is scheduled for:  21st-27th October 2013.

The Course content

Day 1 – 3: Ultrasonic Testing (UT)
Day 4: Radiographic Testing
Day 5: Magnetic Particle Testing
Day 6: Dye-penetrant Testing
Day 7: Exams and certifications.

To learn more about ANST/NDT training at Mound Inspections Nigeria Limited, visit website

The oil and gas industry is the target of most graduate engineers and technicians. But when everyone has similar qualification, it’s then a question of what gives you an edge. Visit the organization to see if NDT is the right training program for you.

Disclaimers: This article was sponsored by Mound Inspections Nigeria Limited