—Initiative to enhance digital-design skills, support youth development and job readiness

TÜRKIYE-BASED energy company Karpowership has launched a state-of-the-art AutoCAD Technology Lab at the Government Technical Institute (GTI), reinforcing its commitment to strengthening technical education and skills development in Guyana.
The announcement was made on the third day of the Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo, where the company also pledged continued support for Guyana’s expanding energy sector and broader development agenda.
Addressing delegates, Beyza Özdemir, Americas Regional Director of Commercial Operations for Karpowership, said the initiative reflects the company’s long-term commitment to capacity-building, youth empowerment and job creation in Guyana.
She noted that while the company’s operational partnerships in the energy sector are significant, the shared vision for sustainable growth and collaboration provides even greater opportunities for future engagement.

“At Karpowership, we strongly believe that energy is not just about generation, it is not just about oil and gas discoveries, it is about ensuring hospitals and schools are functioning, businesses are evolving and expanding, and new industries are growing. Today, this philosophy is exactly what connects us to Guyana and Guyana’s prosperity for the future,” Özdemir said.
The newly established AutoCAD Technology Lab, created in honour of company founder Rauf Osman Karadeniz, features high-performance desktop computers designed to support AutoCAD-based instruction at GTI. The facility enhances existing instructional capacity and expands students’ access to industry-standard digital design tools widely used in engineering, construction and other technical fields.
According to information released following the launch, the lab is expected to benefit approximately 1,000 first- and second-year full-time engineering students annually across multiple programmes at the institute.
Özdemir explained that the initiative forms part of the company’s wider corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy, which focuses globally on education, nutrition and women’s empowerment.
“Our contribution and our commitment go beyond energy generation. We are investing heavily in CSR projects around the world,” she said, noting that Karpowership will continue to collaborate with local institutions, including GTI and the Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC), to expand training opportunities.

The company, which operates floating power plants and provides energy solutions globally, is also an allied provider for Guyana’s two chartered powerships from UCC Holdings. Özdemir said the company views its presence in Guyana as part of a broader effort to support the country’s ambitious infrastructural and energy-expansion programmes.
She pointed to Guyana’s rapid economic growth and major projects such as gas-to-energy, solar power developments and data centre investments as evidence of the country’s dynamic transformation.
“Our footprint in Guyana shows that the country is growing very fast and undertaking major projects… We are proud to be one of the contributors to these economic developments as a bridging solution,” she added.
The AutoCAD lab initiative is expected to play a critical role in equipping young Guyanese with practical, technology-driven skills, thereby strengthening the technical workforce needed to support Guyana’s ongoing industrialisation and energy-driven economic expansion.