–Exxon helping make them conversant with subject

THE Linden Chamber of Industry Commerce and Development has been partnering with the Centre for Local Business Development to get Lindeners prepared for the coming of oil and gas.

At the Oil and Gas Training Seminar in the township on Wednesday, President of the Linden Chamber, Mr Victor Fernandes, said that persons have been curious to know how they can become involved in the new industry.

To this, he replied that while direct employment will be just around 100 to 150, indirect employment is another matter altogether.

“Indirect employment,” he said, “could be numberless, through the provision of services of various kinds for the oil and gas industry.”

And that is why the training seminar is so important, as the intention is to give persons an opportunity to learn how they can prepare to get involved with the industry.

Linden parliamentarian Mr Jermaine Figueira is of the belief that Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice), being a mining community for as long as one can remember, has the skillset ExxonMobil is looking for.

“I believe that this community is a hub with regard to spills [sic]; with regard to mining, and we would really like to see Exxon working in close collaboration with our community to help push and promote more skills,” Figueira said, “so that we can continue to lead the way in regards of promoting and enhancing the skillset of Guyana, and moreso our local business content.”

To this, Linden Mayor Mr Carwin Holland added: “We’re so accustomed in Linden to the bauxite industry, but it is time indeed we think of diversification, and start thinking of other industries.”

Having said that, he encouraged the centre to start steering the minds of young Lindeners in the direction of oil and gas, as this is where Guyana’s future is headed.
“In another 10 years, Guyana will be talking oil, and if we don’t get our youths on board now, I believe they will be left behind,” Holland said.

The Centre for Local Business Development was established by ExxonMobil to provide a space for local firms to learn about opportunities in the oil and gas sector, strengthen their competitiveness, and prepare to join the oil and gas supply chain.

Mr Patrick Henry, project director of the centre, explained that ExxonMobil partners with DAI Global, the Institute for Private Enterprise Development (IPED), EMPRETEC, BrainStreet and Food Safety Management.

DAI Global is an international firm specialising in Socio-economics, while IPED provides financial management training. EMPRETEC provides training, BrainStreet develops the centre’s supplier registration portal, and Food Management Services provides International Organisations for Standardisation (ISO) certification to local businesses.

The Centre for Local Business Development was initiated in April this year, and will be managed by Guyanese in the next three years.