THE Ministry of Natural Resources on Friday last opened its Youth in Natural Resources (YNR) Apprenticeship Programme 2024 to boost interest and encourage young adults to enter the sector to positively impact Guyana’s human resources as it relates to mining, forestry and oil and gas.
The programme is expected to span for four weeks and will provide opportunities for the youth to interact with key stakeholders within the sector among many other activities.
The Youth in Natural Resources Apprenticeship programme aims to provide youths with the opportunity to experience Guyana’s interior regions, while also learning about the natural resources sector and job opportunities in these sectors.

Participants will also be able to travel through Guyana’s dense rainforest to mining camps in Regions Two and Seven to see firsthand how precious and semi-precious minerals are extracted from the earth.
The students will interact with mentors and professionals who will share their knowledge and experiences working in extractive industries, including in the highly anticipated oil and gas sector.
Youth participants will be able to establish corporate links through networking with the businesses in the sector and will have the opportunity to be enrolled as Youth Ambassadors for the Natural Resources. Additionally, they will be given the opportunity to participate in the annual Geology and Mines Commission week of activities which focuses on the mining sector.

To make this programme possible, the ministry collaborated with several agencies including Iwokrama, ExxonMobil Guyana, Guyana Gold Fields, the University of Guyana Science and Technology Department and Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Guyana Technical Institute, Protected Areas Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Guyana School of Agriculture, National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), African Business Roundtable, Guyana Forestry Commission, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and Gold Board to name a few.

Partnerships with these companies and entities will further ensure that all youths participating in the programme will benefit from training through several courses, including: Introduction to Oil and Gas Shore Base Logistics; Introduction and Understanding of GPS and or GIS Technology; Overview of Value addition to Lesser Species Wood and sawmill production packaging and marketing techniques; Operations and best practices of the Guyana Forestry Commission; Land reclamation and environmental best practices in NR sector; and Understanding heavy duty machinery in mining, Bobcat and Telehandler simulation training among other exciting courses.

The MNR youth Apprenticeship programme allows for the re-engagement of previous apprentices with the current batch which will contribute to positive teen bonding, and the making of NR Ambassadors.
It was stated that the MNR youths will continuously be engaged and trained in various areas even after the programme has been completed as they prepare for other non-sector jobs and green small business ventures as they transition into adulthood.