THE President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, announced that the commissioning of the Port Mourant National Oil and Gas Training Centre, a state-of-the-art facility aimed at strengthening Guyana’s position in the global energy sector, was imminent.

He made that announcement during a press conference at the company’s Kingston, Georgetown, headquarters on Tuesday.
Routledge highlighted the centre’s innovative approach to training, emphasising its simulation capabilities.

“It’s a facility simulator, it simulates being on a live plant, whether that is offshore… it enables training technicians to practise what they learn in the classroom, practise what they learn in the laboratory on a plant,” he stated.

This hands-on experience, he said, aims to accelerate the apprentices’ development, preparing them for offshore responsibilities more rapidly.
The training centre, situated near the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) Estate in Port Mourant, is part of a broader initiative to equip young Guyanese with the necessary skills for the burgeoning oil and gas sector, as well as the hospitality industry for tourism.

The project, officially named the Guyana Technical Training College, is under the directorship of Professor Clement Sankat, a distinguished Guyanese, and former Pro-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies.
Constructed with an investment of approximately US$100 million, the facility is a collaborative effort between the Guyana government and ExxonMobil.

It represents a significant step towards realising the government’s vision of transforming the region into an educational and investment hub, contributing to the nation’s economic growth.

Routledge further elaborated on the comprehensive nature of the training programme, mentioning the current class of 25 students who have completed basic training and are now ready to utilise the facility.
He also explained that the facility was gearing up to welcome individuals from across Guyana, irrespective of their geographical location.

“We are also breaking ground on the rest of the training campus. The classroom, dormitory and so on [will] ensure that the facility is open for trainees, whether they live in Region Six or Region One or wherever in the country…,” he said.
Routledge explained that it is not just about preparing them for the oil and gas industry, since the skills they develop will be highly transferable to other sectors as well.

“Very soon, we will be commissioning that first facility,” he added, underlining the imminent operational status of the centre.
The establishment of the Port Mourant National Oil and Gas Training Centre aligns with President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s commitment to expanding educational opportunities in Guyana.

The Port Mourant National Oil and Gas Training Centre represents a forward-thinking approach to workforce development, aiming to fast-track the professional growth of its trainees.
By combining rigorous academic training with practical, real-world applications, the centre is set to play a pivotal role in preparing Guyana’s youth for the challenges and opportunities of the global oil and gas industry.

Announced in April 2022, the construction of the facility, alongside a hospitality institute, underscores the government’s effort to prepare its youth for key roles in driving forward the nation’s oil and gas industry and beyond.

Senior Petroleum Coordinator, Bobby Gossai Jr., had previously explained that, because of the enormous opportunities that exist in the country’s growing oil-and-gas sector, young people must upskill themselves in the crucial areas so that they can earn and contribute to the development of the industry and the country.

“For five to eight years, we’ve all seen the transition from traditional jobs to new areas and new industries and new sectors and sub-sectors that are opening up. Key industry opportunities for employment that were not clear are now here. And as we move forward into the next eight years, there is going to be more opportunities for the employment of our young people,” he said.

He related that, over the last few years, traditional jobs in areas such as mining, agriculture, and the services industry have transitioned into the energy sector.
However, he acknowledged that one of the serious impacts of that was a gap between the need for skills and the availability of same.

The coordinator said that the government has been working intensely to build capacity over the next couple of years to fill that gap with many incentives, such as constructing the GTTC at Port Mourant, which will be the premier institution offering oil-and-gas training.