–Region Six poised to become a major hub for technical, professional training
The backlands of Port Mourant are rapidly transforming into a major training hub as President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali formally declared the Guyana Technical Training College Inc (GTTCI) open on Saturday.
With this investment, Region Six has been designated as the capital for national oil and gas technical training, marking a new era of economic and industrial development.
Inside of the modern technical training college
Built with world-class, state-of-the-art facilities, the institution will help mould a highly skilled Guyanese workforce who will secure high-income careers in technical and other advanced industries.
Thousands of Guyanese will receive hands-on technical and practical training, eliminating the need to travel to Canada to access such training.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali addresses the commissioning ceremony on Saturday
“It is one of the, if not the most strategic investment we have made so far in the oil and gas,” President Ali declared in his keynote address, before stating that, “It will develop our workforce. It’s an investment in our workforce, an investment in the future of our country.
President Ali tours the modern facility
The president noted that while the institution was designed initially for the Guyanese workforce, “it will be available to Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and further afield; all those who are going in deep sea drilling.”
President Ali noted that the investment is also intended to transform the institution into the world’s leading oil and gas training centre over the next century, anchoring the country’s role in energy services and technical innovation.
Young Guyanese who are undergoing technical and practical training at the oil and gas college
“When we are 100 years into oil and gas, we will be the number one training facility in the world,” the president underscored.
He noted that the training centre forms part of a broader development strategy for Region Six, positioning it as a premier hub for technical and professional education.
Alongside the centre, investments in a nursing school, a teaching hospital in New Amsterdam, agricultural training facilities, and the Tourism and Hospitality Institute are driving the region’s transformation and laying the foundation for sustained growth.
“The Minister of Agriculture is not here by accident,” he said before announcing that, “He also will be tasked with ensuring that there will be a state-of-the-art agricultural training facility in Region Six to support the industrialisation of agriculture and to support the development of a food industry.”
The president also emphasised that the investment in Port Mourant fits into the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration’s vision for national development, through economic diversification and skills training, with phase two of the gas-to-energy project slated for development here.
President Ali also recognised the young people undergoing training at the ceremony, particularly young women, and commended Professor Clement Sankat, the GCCI’s director, and his team, including the local contractor, for bringing the vision to life.
Women in oil and gas
ExxonMobil’s President, Alistair Routledge, recalled discussions with President Ali in 2021 about maximising opportunities for Guyanese in the natural resources sector.
Like the president, Routledge noted that world-class, state-of-the-art facilities are essential to developing a highly skilled workforce capable of participating in the country’s expanding oil and gas industry.
GTTC Director, Professor Clement Sankat, credited President Ali and his administration for translating that vision into reality.
“This was once the backdam; today it represents a transformation in action,” he remarked.
He commended President Ali for shaping opportunities for communities and residents, particularly in rural Port Mourant.
The professor noted that even before its formal opening, the school had already commenced training. Two cohorts of students have already completed the programme and have successfully secured employment. The 18-month intensive residential programme culminates in a globally recognised diploma in oil and gas operations.
The project was constructed through a partnership between the Government of Guyana, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), Hess and CNOOC.
Joining the president were First Lady, Arya Ali, newly appointed Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Sir Ronald Saunders, ministers of government, and other officials.
