AS Guyana prepares for the new oil and gas dispensation, several new training opportunities are being created which will help the country to take maximum advantage not only of the oil and gas resources but also all the other accompanying opportunities that will emanate from an expanding and modern economy.

In this regard, over 1, 000 workers are earmarked for training in a variety of skill areas relevant to the petroleum sector within the next few years. President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has recognised the importance of skills training relevant to the sector and, during a visit to Region Six had identified the former GuySuCo Training Centre at Port Mourant as the country’s new National Oil and Gas Institute. The centre had over the years trained hundreds of young people in a variety of skills with particular relevance to the sugar industry but with the closing down of a number of grinding sugar estates by the APNU+AFC administration, training programmes at the centre were scaled down.

According to President Ali his administration has already commenced discussions on having a world class, world rated Oil and Gas Institute and Training Centre in Guyana. The institute, the President said, will not only train Guyanese but also oil and gas workers in the Caribbean.

This development is now given a major boost with an allocation of $420.5M in the 2020 Budget Estimates to train Guyanese for jobs in the country’s rapidly expanding oil and gas sector. Under this programme, training and certification will be provided to welders, stevedores and heavy vehicle operators among others. The programme will initially provide training for one thousand Guyanese and is expected to continue into the medium term which will see roughly 5,000 persons trained over the next four years.

And according to the Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, government will be partnering with the private sector to establish the Guyana Technical Training College at Port Mourant where several new courses will be offered relevant to the developmental needs of the country including oil and gas, tourism and the hospitality sector. This training institute is all the more necessary given recent discoveries of new oil fields.

A further $2.5B is allocated in the 2022 Budget to strengthen Technical and Vocational Education and Training programmes, all across the country at post-secondary levels. This will equip approximately 4,500 young people currently enrolled with the skills to pursue entrepreneurship and ensure employability. Additionally, nine secondary schools will complete a pilot of the Level One Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CQV) programme across various skills including crop production, furniture making, electrical installation and masonry.

This will create the opportunity for students to access the technical institutions that offer Levels Two and Three CQV, qualifying them as independent workers capable of managing their own their own business operations.

The Board of Industrial Training has been doing an excellent job in taking vocational training opportunities to all the 10 regions of Guyana. The National Youth Empowerment Programme was initiated by the PPP/C administration with the objective of providing opportunities for out of school and disadvantaged youths, but it has now been expanded to include a wider range of offerings.

This year’s budget will make available another $448.5M to continue training programmes under the Board of Industrial Training (BIT).  Over 90,787 persons have benefitted from training since the commencement of the programme. Among the several skill areas offered by the board were small engine repairs, shade house farming, refrigeration and air conditioning repairs, introduction to photovoltaic systems-solar installation, maintenance and repairs, electrical installation and computer repairs.

Last year alone, under the National Youth Programme, 254 youths completed training in areas such as data operations, welding, plumbing, refrigeration and air-conditioning repairs, masonry among other skill areas at the Kuru Kuru, Sophia and the Vryman’S Erven Training centres and these trainings will continue in 2022.

Additionally, hundreds of young people graduate each year from the more established technical and vocational training including the Georgetown Technical Institute, the New Amsterdam Training Institute and the Guyana Industrial Training Centre. It was under the PPP/C administration that new training centres were opened in Corriverton, Linden, Anna Regina and Mahaicony to cater for the training needs of youths from rural communities.

Guyana is well on the way to developing the right mix of skills to respond to the developmental needs of the country, especially at this time when the country is poised for rapid transformational changes. The importance of skills training cannot be overemphasised and full credit must be given to the PPP/C administration for putting such training as a top priority in the country’s transformative agenda.