AS Guyana’s energy landscape continues to accelerate, Professor Clement Sankat, the Director of the Guyana Training College Inc. (GTTCI) in Port Mourant, Berbice, says the nation’s future depends on building a strong base of skilled professionals and not just academic graduates.
He made these remarks during a preview of today’s airing of the ‘Starting Point’ Podcast – the Oil and Gas edition – where he will delve into how the GTTCI is crucial in filling a critical gap in Guyana’s workforce development.
He said: “When I came here, I told the President (Dr. Irfaan Ali) and the Vice President (Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo) that I think what Guyana needs badly is technical training for the oil and gas industry. Universities tend to produce academic professionals. But for every professional with a degree in engineering, for example, you need a half dozen technicians, and the country is short on those kinds of skills.”
He further shared that he proposed engaging in technical training as it is important to develop this skillset.
“I was able to put a paper together, which was accepted by the government, and it laid the basis for the creation of this Guyana Technical Training College. So, I came back and was given a task that I myself wanted to do. So, I am pursuing this with a lot of passion, because I think it’s going to be a major game changer for technical training for oil and gas,” he said.
The GTTCI, supported financially by ExxonMobil, the Stabroek Block co-venturers, and the government, welcomed its first cohort of locally trained students in October 2025—a landmark in technical education.
ExxonMobil Guyana continues to deepen its commitment to local content and workforce development, investing heavily in Guyanese businesses, training, and industrial capacity.
Since beginning operations in 2015, ExxonMobil and its contractors have spent over US$2.9 billion with local businesses. In the first half of 2025 alone, US$419 million (approximately GY$87 billion) was directed to 1,800 Guyanese vendors, demonstrating a strong focus on supporting local industry.
This year also marked a milestone with the launch of in-country fabrication at the Vreed-en-Hoop Shore Base Inc. (VEHSI), including the production of quad joints and Pipeline End Terminations (PLETs), a step that enhances Guyana’s industrial capabilities.
ExxonMobil’s internship programme is also yielding tangible results. Of the inaugural class, five interns have already joined the company, while the 2025 programme continues to provide young Guyanese with meaningful opportunities in the oil-and-gas sector.
These initiatives reflect ExxonMobil Guyana’s ongoing effort to foster local expertise, strengthen the domestic workforce, and contribute to the sustainable growth of Guyana’s oil-and-gas industry.