Guyanese urged to position themselves to benefit from the oil and gas sector
…as hundreds undergo orientation for PetroEd training
(February 3, 2020) – One thousand Guyanese will soon begin e-learning training in oil and gas, an initiative sponsored by the Ministry of Education in partnership with PetroEd.
Successful participants were today treated to an orientation exercise at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre for the PetroEd E-learning Training in Oil and Gas Programme that is being offered to Guyanese through the Ministry of Education and the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET).
Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry during her keynote address said that the oil and gas industry is no longer a dream but it is an unfathomable reality that Guyana is experiencing that is set to change all aspects of our nation, taking it to greater heights.
She said that according to the Sustainable Development scenario put forward by the International Energy Agency (IEA), oil and gas are set to continue playing a vital role in meeting the world’s energy needs, accounting for nearly half of the primary energy mix in 2040.
Minister Henry told the participants that they must fully understand that the Oil and Gas projects offer massive potential in Guyana, not just in terms of production, but in the wide variety of employment opportunities, it creates for Guyanese.
“That’s why your successful application is so important. It opens opportunities for you to activate all levels of this eminent growth personally as well as professionally” Minister Henry advised.
Moreover, Minister Henry noted that the commencement of this training signifies the commitment to access and develop the skills of Guyanese so that they can function in all the capacities required for the successful execution of Guyana’s oil and gas industry.
Director of the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), Mr. Floyd Scott, said that the CTVET is pleased at the responses it received from both the formal and informal sectors to ensure that a wide cross-section of the population benefits from the courses.
He said that the training which the participants will benefit from will give them a better understanding of the oil and gas industry and how they fit in the value chain without having to change career paths.
Further, Mr. Scott noted that the benefit which will be derived from these courses will in no doubt translate into a safety culture, not only in the workplace but in the communities and the country at large.
All successful applicants were urged to approach the training with diligence and the required level of seriousness. “As pioneers, you will set the stage for others to benefit as your successful completion determines the continuation and expansion of the programme”, Mr. Scott explained.
According to the Director of the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe, this is an exciting time to be a Guyanese. He told the participants that it is important for them to be positioning themselves for the socio-economic take-off Guyana is about to experience.
He congratulated the Ministry of Education and the CTVET in realising this initiative as Guyana continues to seek ways to build capacity. Dr. Bynoe said that is important that Guyanese are prepared for the transformation that the oil and gas discoveries will bring and to ensure that a greater proportion of Guyanese contribute to the local content.
He said that the Department of Energy will continue to work with all serious-minded and committed parties to ensure the successful, efficient and long-term development of Guyana’s oil and gas resources for all Guyanese.
Senior Education Officer, Department of Industry and Innovation, Ms Valencia Wren, representing the Minister of Public Telecommunications, Mrs. Catherine Hughes, said that initiatives such as these are important as Guyana prepares for the first take-off of oil and gas.
She said that with over 175 ICT hubs that her Ministry has set up, the PetroEd initiative will be able to be taken advantage of even by persons in the hinterland communities. She told the participants that the courses they will be benefiting from will unearth skills they never knew they possessed.