AS the petroleum sector continues to develop, training of the requisite personnel, including top Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations performers is being keenly addressed.This was noted on Thursday by Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman when he addressed members of the media during a breakfast forum at the Herdmanston Lodge in the city. He said that the ministry is grooming the students, who excelled last year at the CSEC exams, noting that this was taken into account after the students spoke of their ambitions of pursuing studies in the petroleum field, following the release of their results last year.
Later in the evening, Trotman and Junior Minister of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes led a team from the ministry during a presentation on the oil and gas sector at the Education Lecture Theatre (ELT) of the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus.
Minister Trotman in his address to a packed ELT, told students that the ministry will continue to work along with the university as the petroleum sector develops. He spoke of a $100M sum which he noted is a commitment the ministry is making to the university and according to him, the ministry is exploring the establishment of linkages with the university and its international partners to train personnel. “We need our people trained as fast as possible”, Trotman told the audience. The sum was mentioned last year and Trotman noted that the sum will be made available in due course to UG.
He explained that the ministry intends to work along with UG in undertaking the relevant programmes taught at the university and the institution’s partners. In addition, he said that the authorities are also working to strengthen the programmes offered to students in the technical institutes around the country.
At the same time the ministry will continue to develop the legal framework that governs, as well as the implementation of policies to regulate the sector, he added.
Trotman briefed students and other members of the audience of the developments within the various sectors which fall under the purview of the Natural Resources Ministry.
