Chevron trainees threaten firm’s operation over job placement

Chevrons operations in Delta, Bayelsa and Ondo states could be disrupted soon if the threat by the unemployed graduates of the Chevron’s Vocational Training Programme sets five and six (VTP5-6) is anything to go by.

The beneficiaries of the programme mainly from host communities comprising Ijaw, Ilaje and Itsekiri said after completing the training programme six years ago the oil firm refused to employ them as promised.

It was learnt that Chevron promised to engage them as soon as the oil price in the international market improved. However, they said despite crude oil rising to $67 per barrel Chevron had remained adamant.

The aggrieved beneficiaries took their grievances to the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) after all efforts to get Chevron’s attention failed including protests at the firm’s facilities.

The IYC President Eric Omare accused Chevron deliberately refused to employ products of their vocational training programme that are mainly from host communities of Ijaw, Ilaje and Itsekiri.

He said while those from host communities are employed as technicians, those from outside the host communities are employed as engineers.

The IYC President said an aptitude test was done last year for those from outside the host communities in Abuja where several engineers were employed while host communities were left out.

His words: “ the implication of this discriminatory employment policy is that though the community technicians are the ones doing the actual work on the field with requisite qualification but they cannot grow or be promoted in the employment policy to the level of the engineers employed from outside the host communities”

Omare said the discriminatory employment policy of Chevron is responsible for the persistent crisis in the oil-bearing communities of the Niger Delta region and the unfriendly posture of the host communities against the multinational such Chevron.