AS the oil and gas industry continues to grow in Guyana, it is refreshing to see private companies become more involved in the development of the local workforce. But as the industry evolves, it is critical that investments in workforce development are made with an eye towards the long-term future. While the energy industry will likely be here for decades, it is critical that the government and industry think now about what skills can catapult the country’s industrial development beyond oil.

Many of the most important skills needed to support the energy industry are also areas that can help workers and companies compete and thrive in other industrial sectors. While attention is placed on overtly oil-focused jobs like petroleum engineer or petroleum geologist, it is worth noting that most of the demand from the energy industry will be for skills that are more universal. Basic engineering and science skills are vitally important and offer many more options in oil-and-gas and other sectors.

Welder, technician, structural engineer, and marine mechanic positions are being filled by Guyanese and capacity building continues. Led by industry-funded programmes such as the Greater Guyana Initiative and learning centres like the University of Guyana, and the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), companies are already focusing heavily on those transferrable skills.

But ultimately the reach of the energy industry will be even greater. As more companies move to Guyana to contribute to the growing energy industry and other spin off sectors, those working in professional services will become even more important.

Industry contractors like Saipem, which recently opened a construction yard in Guyana, will need lawyers, accountants, and IT specialists. Experts in compliance, safety and planning will be in high demand. These skills are applicable across the entire modern economy. This new demand could also help provide ready jobs for recent university graduates and help turn the tide from the traditionally plaguing brain drain.

In a recent interview, Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Dr. Paloma Mohamed-Martin, said that the University alone has received up to US$40 million from companies in the oil-and-gas sector for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects, more than the total amount from all other sources over the last 15 years.

In the last five years, these extensive donations have been used to fund projects, install specialised laboratories and upgrade aging infrastructure at the University. Millions in funding from oil services contractors Halliburton and Schlumberger have also helped purchase equipment, including computers and software for engineering and scenario modelling training programmes in university classes. Funds are also being used to launch a subsea drilling lab.

Donations from ExxonMobil were used to build a new physics lab and support research projects in the Agriculture and Forestry Department. It’s easy to envision a new generation of workers learning skills that will be crucial not only to oil, but also to other key emerging industries like the proposed agrochemical hub at the former Wales Estate. Investments like these in basic STEM education are vital to creating an innovative and adaptable workforce that can transition from oil to the future.

Industry is setting up other funding programmes, including the US$100 million Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI), which benefits the University of Guyana. The GGI is funded by ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC and focuses on training programmes and development projects. The industry-funded TVET programme has already identified welding and electrical as two growth areas for workforce development. These initiatives and partnerships have one common goal in mind: to ensure that Guyana’s workforce is ready to meet growing demand for specialised jobs now and ensure that these skills are transferrable to other industries in the long-term future.

While workforce development does not happen overnight, these kinds of long-term skill-building efforts can better position Guyana’s workforce to compete against neighbouring energy producers like Brazil, Trinidad and Suriname and expand the reach of local companies throughout the region.