In 2015, when the announcement of the first discovery of oil offshore Guyana was made, the air was abuzz with excitement over what this could mean for the country. However, with that excitement came concerns over how Guyanese would contribute to the development of the industry, given the deficit of a skilled technical workforce equipped with the knowledge and experience the sector required. Education and capacity building became immediate focal points.

Today, almost nine years since that first discovery and over four years since first oil, significant progress has been made in the education arena, benefiting not just the oil industry but supporting sectors. In fact, the emergence of the oil and gas industry has not only benefited the country through an increase in the technically skilled workforce, but it has also contributed to the country’s education sector in a very broad way. In the recent budget, the Education sector saw an allocation of GY$135.2 billion dollars to further support the vision of world-class education and capacity building. It must be noted that this is the largest sum the education sector has ever received. As expressed in prior weeks, the allocation of sums for Guyana’s development has undergone tremendous increases as a result of the economic growth experienced with the support of the oil and gas industry. This has since translated to grants for students, new school infrastructure across the country and investment into classroom improvements—and these are just the impacts on the education sector as a collective.

Due to this extensive need for additional labour and human capacity development, Guyanese have now started to benefit from diverse opportunities to cushion the demand this positive impact has brought about. Educational institutions like the University of Guyana and technical institutes have collaborated with oil and gas companies to provide advanced training and development. The University of Guyana recently marked a milestone as 31 of its faculty members graduated with their doctorates from the Arizona State University. This academic feat was made possible through the support of the ExxonMobil Foundation, under the university’s Advanced Scholars Programme. Additionally, the university recently added two Petroleum Engineering Courses – an Associate Degree in Science and a Master’s Degree in Science. Millions of dollars have been invested in the university to support curriculum development, construct facilities, and to provide technical support that will aid in the nation’s continuous development to cushion the needs of the oil sector, not just by ExxonMobil Guyana and its co-venturers through the Greater Guyana Initiative, but also the company’s prime contractors.

Safety in the workplace is of top priority of the petroleum industry. It is with this in mind that students of technical institutions across the country now benefit from the Basic Industrial Safety Training (BIST) programme. This training provides the fundamentals of safety and enhances safety culture. These technical institutes have also profited from skills enhancement, updated curriculum, upgraded facilities, and the provision of modern equipment specifically for Electrical Installation and Welding and Fabrication programmes. The first phase of the country’s first Technical Training College is set to be opened soon, in Port Mourant, Berbice; an initiative that is intended to provide hands-on training for Guyanese youths who are interested in working in the oil and gas industry.

In further cushioning and meeting the demands of the oil sector, students are also provided with financial support, scholarships, and internship opportunities for practical experience and exposure through initiatives that have been led by industry players. For example, SBM Offshore Guyana provides several opportunities for young Guyanese to develop the skills needed for the sector. This has been done through scholarships and capacity-building programmes such as the scholarship programme for Indigenous Women in STEM, the Trainee Technician Programme as well and the Graduate Engineering Programme. CNOOC, Schlumberger and Halliburton have all introduced internships or scholarships, and institutions such as MatPal Marine Institute continue to address the skills gap that exists in the country.

Certainly, Guyana has made positive strides in addressing the concerns that the country had in the days of the nation being a frontier oil basin—and not only has the number of discoveries increased and the opportunities grown, but there has also been a significant uptake in education and training which will not just benefit Guyanese today, but in the years to come.