–continues to invest in enhancement of Guyana’s human capital

THE educational aspect of President Irfaan Ali’s ‘One Guyana’ vision has seen another major boost with the introduction of a new welding programme that aims to grow the country’s oil and gas sector.
Nations School of Technology will facilitate the initiative in partnership with various stakeholders in the oil and gas industry. The event saw more than 650 persons registering for an opportunity to meet and work alongside internationally accredited entities like The Guyana Oil and Gas Service and City and Guilds.

In a brief speech at the School of the Nations open day on Saturday, President Ali underscored the impact this training and others like it will have on the country’s oil and gas industry. He further stated that the government’s GOAL scholarship will sponsor the entire programme.
“Through the GOAL scholarship programme, we are sponsoring the students coming on board for this qualification. When we said as a government that we want every Guyanese to have an opportunity, this is what we meant.”

The President sees the initiative as a massive opportunity for both senior members of the field as well as newcomers. He shared, “Many of you are welders. You know how to weld, but you never had the opportunity to get the certification. And without the certification, you cannot get the subcontracts, the contracts, and the jobs even within companies. We are now giving welders who are already in the field the opportunity to get certified and to upgrade their welding skills.”

He further added, “We have persons who are new entrants to this field. For you, you will have the full exposure, not only the theoretical skills but also the practical skills. Because part of this programme is putting together a simulator that will give you not an ordinary experience, but experience at welding at the highest level. After the completion of the course, you will get your certification. I want you to be committed to this process.”
The programme was hailed as a success, seeing representation from nine of Guyana’s ten regions, with Region One being the only exception. The President acknowledged this fact but further emphasised the infinite possibilities for Guyanese.

He highlighted the ongoing efforts to regionalise programmes of a similar nature.
“We are also going to regionalise the programme. After this first batch, we are also going to take the programme to the different regions so that we can have the students in the region benefit from this programme too. We are committed to training at least 3,000 Guyanese across our country in this welding programme. We are committed to ensuring that you get trained, you get a certification, and you are industry-ready. More than 1,000 Guyanese in the first batch, young Guyanese, will have this opportunity today.”

The President then redirected his attention to the importance of the oil and gas stakeholders. He stated, “We have many of the companies in the oil and gas sector who will be observing your training, who will be interacting with you because they will be absorbing you into their workforce. We are going to invite the Miners Association because they are looking for persons also – to observe you and to interact with you. By the time you have completed the programme, many of you will open your own welding shops. But by the time you have completed the programme, every single person must be gainfully occupied, must be employed, or must be in service in this field. That is the objective of this programme.”

In his closing remarks, the President emphasised the government’s commitment to the nation’s people, stating that. “As a government, we are committed to you. We want to see you succeed. We want to see you grow. We want to see you excel. We want to see you be the best you can be. We are going to make all the investments to ensure that you are the best you can be. I want all of us together to be that positive change, that positive impact. Take this opportunity seriously. I am proud that all of you have taken this bold decision. You have made this decision on your own. You have gotten registered. That is the first step. Now the next step is to stay with the process.”

Chief Operating Officer of School of the Nations, Liam O’Toole, shared how the initiative was sparked a few months ago after a suggestion made by the Head of State.
“Many months ago, we met with His Excellency, and we were proud to inform him of the City and Guilds masonry, carpentry, and plumbing courses we have. When we met, he said, what about welding? It was his suggestion and support that led us to secure the City and Guilds welding course, for which you are here today.”

Giving students an idea of what to expect in their upcoming training, O’Toole shared, “You will be trained by highly experienced Guyanese welders already working in the oil and gas industry here in Guyana. We are thrilled to be playing an active role in helping to develop a skilled labour force in Guyana.
“We know that construction, agriculture, mining, and of course the oil and gas sectors are all developing at an exponential pace. This is an exciting time in Guyana’s future. The City and Guilds courses we offer will teach beginner, intermediate, and advanced welding skills.”

O’Toole also emphasised the importance and impact of the initiative, sharing that, “These courses are internationally recognised. City and Guilds is an international forum that offers great opportunities for career and professional development, as well as progression into higher education. They are widely accepted by employers around the world as a benchmark for workplace excellence and provide learners with the skills they need to succeed in the new fashion of the economic environment.”