Government, private companies working to educate students on energy sector

The government and private companies are working to educate students about the many opportunities that exist within the oil and gas industry.

To kick start another knowledge session about the two essential commodities, students from The Bishops High School and St John’s College were present at the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber, Middle Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown, on Friday.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar said, “Nurturing youths is what the Oil and Gas Chamber has been doing, which nobody else is doing. This chamber gives you at least a scratch on the surface of what the opportunities are so that it can open your mind,” Minister Indar said.

He encouraged the children to explore the careers that surround the sector and charged them to certify themselves so that they could have a noble job in society.

Moreover, the President of the chamber, Manniram Prashad, urged the children to take advantage of the session and to ask questions, since the forum is for their benefit.

“Guyanese must be trained to learn all about the oil and gas sector because you have to take over the key positions, the local content. Right now, we have to welcome people from outside to show us the way because oil and gas are very new to us,” Prashad posited.

He added that before the year ends, the chamber is hoping to facilitate 40 schools for the one-day session over the coming months. These students will be taught by lecturers from the University of Guyana and representatives from key stakeholders within the oil and gas industry. As of last year, some 60 schools benefitted from the initiative.

The Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber is a non-governmental institution that is aimed at teaching Guyanese students about the advantages of the sector, the opportunities it brings to the country how the resources should be properly used,

Also present was Public and Government Affairs for ExxonMobil in Guyana, Matthew Scharf, who noted that the company has employed over 250 young Guyanese to work in various aspects of the industry.