Dear Editor,

IT was certainly gratifying to hear that twenty-four Guyanese have been hired to join ExxonMobil’s operations team and that these men and women will receive training at a Canadian University for 18 months. I am proud of my fellow Guyanese for getting these positions and having an opportunity to expand their opportunities.

In my opinion, the extensive training is important, as it signals an opportunity for growth beyond their current position. After their training, the hardworking two dozen Guyanese will be assigned to the Liza Destiny ship to begin work, joining over a thousand other Guyanese reported to also be working on Liza Phase-1 operations.

Like many, I hope that this hiring spree represents the start of a continuous trend. It feels like there has been a noticeable increase in reports of hiring and certifications in recent weeks, but we have still not seen a physical increase in activity onshore.

As the twenty-four recently-hired Guyanese perform well in their new roles, as I’m sure they will, they can help start to establish local Guyanese as a legitimate pool of potential employees for ExxonMobil and other operators looking for support.  It’s important that we Guyanese capture these jobs, because they mean more money and more chances for training and development.

I am optimistic when I think of what’s coming up and the opportunities ahead. We are expecting more drillships in our waters, which will require support as well. Then, in 2020, 50 more technicians are set to be hired as we get closer to production. Why not employ more Guyanese to support these operations? Our workforce is smart, capable and ready to do the work – all we need are opportunities to showcase this.
Hopefully, these hires are just the beginning of what’s to come.

Yours Respectfully,
Selwyn Paul