ExxonMobil Moçambique, Limitada, as the Delegated Midstream Operator for Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin Project, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Field Ready this Wednesday (26), in a joint and dedicated effort to increase employment opportunities for Mozambicans in the Oil & Gas sector.

The signing ceremony, held at the Polana Hotel in Maputo, marked the commitment of ExxonMobil and the Area 4 partners to the development of the Mozambican workforce, through the provision of resources and data reporting metrics on the Mozambique Employability Platform.

In partnership with Field Ready, it is planned to develop a series of programs and initiatives to train young people for future opportunities, including making learning content available free of charge to all participants registered on the Mozambique Employability Platform (MEP).

The agreement also provides Area 4 partners with detailed data and metrics on training, investment and employment by contractors and the Mozambican talent supply chain.

Speaking about the impact of the MoU, Frank Kretschmer, President of ExxonMobil Mozambique, said: "We are excited to enter into this partnership with Field Ready, which is already a partner of the Government of Mozambique. Developing programs to prepare the local workforce for future operations in Rovuma will be critical to the country's success."

He also said that the program will cover around 7,000 young people from all over Mozambique, and "its main objective is to equip them with tools and skills beyond those they may have."

Field Ready is a public-private partnership, previously supported by the Secretary of State for Technical and Vocational Education (SEETP) and the Secretary of State for Youth and Employment (SEJE), now under the management of the Ministry of Education and Culture. The initiative has been present in Mozambique since 2017.

During the signing, Phil Andrews, Field Ready's representative, pointed out that "this agreement will directly support young Mozambicans in their successful integration into the country's labor market, providing additional knowledge, skills and qualifications to meet the requirements of the Rovuma Area 4 project."