–to meet local-content demands of emerging O&G sector

MATPAL and TOTALTEC, two companies with like interests, on Thursday launched their Maritime Safety Training Institute (MSTI) to meet the growing demands of an emerging oil and gas economy.

As Totaltech’s Senior Vice-President Mike Henzell explained, the alliance between the two institutes provides a new integrated training and educational solution geared to accelerating the development of a world-class Guyanese workforce to participate in the maritime and petroleum industry locally and internationally.
“MATPAL and TOTALTEC are both pioneering Guyanese companies and market leaders in their respective training offers in Guyana,” Henzell said.

Totaltec, he said, is the only institution of its kind here to offer a full-immersion safety and operational training programme in the oil-and-gas industry, including practical training on industry-specific equipment and machinery.
He explained that through the proposed alliance, the MSTI will develop state-of-the art facilities for maritime and safety-related training.

“We are investing in Guyana’s future by employing qualified instructors, equipment and new physical facilities to deliver all facets of this highly-specialised training,” he said.
Henzell stressed that Totaltec’s investment in the training and development of young Guyanese men and women is unparalleled, and shows a strong commitment to investing in people now for the future.

The courses being offered by MATPAL are certified by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) which is the United Nations specialised agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping, and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships.

Those being offered by Totaltec’s International Petroleum and Maritime Academy (IPMA), on the other hand, are tailored to suit the UK-based Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) standards.

MSTI graduates will have IMO certification, while MATPAL’s will have access to IPMA’s curriculum, which comprises 63 modules of oil and gas industry-specific safety and operation courses.

MATPAL CEO Coleen Abrams noted that the partnership will bring world-class training to Guyana, as to develop local content for the oil-and-gas sector continues.

“Through this strategic collaboration we are committed to addressing the issue of local content through training as well as adopting and enforcing the standards that are nationally and internationally accepted, so as to set and keep the bar high as it relates to knowledge and skill transfer,” Abrams said.