Oil and Gas College at Port Mourant to begin 18-month training later this year 

The Guyana Technical Training College, located in Port Mourant, Corentyne Berbice, is poised to initiate an extensive 18-month training program focused on the burgeoning oil and gas sector in October of this year.

In a recent interview with reporters, the esteemed Director of the institution, Professor Clement Sankat said, “How are we going to do that? The buildings are being erected for the oil and gas track one. And we are expecting our classroom building, our workshop and laboratory building, and our Admin building would be ready for October so that we start our classes. Everything wouldn’t be ready, but we are moving quickly to use that facility as it is being built to start the training. Exxon and myself are working closely. We are trying to put things together so that we can take off.”

Presently, prospective students are required to travel to Canada to complete a comprehensive 12-month training regimen.

Upon their return to Guyana, they finalize their education with an additional six months of specialized training at the FacTor Simulator, which operates under the auspices of the Guyana Technical Training College Initiative (GTTCI).

“The students who are now in the simulator, just returned from Canada in December last year. And they are finishing off the six months training,”  Professor Sankat divulged.

Professor Sankat furthermore highlighted that a cohort of 33 students has recently returned from Canada, where they are now advancing their training at the FacTor Simulator. Notably, 22 of these students are enrolled in the mechanical instrumentation and production technicians program, which aims to provide them with crucial hands-on training experiences vital for their professional development in the oil and gas field.

“And SBM has also sent 11 cargo technicians to be trained. So, in all we have 33 students and in six months time they will graduate and be ready to be placed on the ships. And that is pleasing and what were doing here in Guyana in terms of technical training. Our students are ready for the world of work. It’s not about talking they are ready, we are making them ready by the hands-on training that they get,” he revealed.

A state-of-the-art training facility inaugurated last year received a US$13 million investment, or approximately GYD 2.6 billion. This facility marks the first phase of the Guyana Technical Training College Inc. initiative, a strategic partnership between the Government of Guyana and the Stabroek Block coventurers, including ExxonMobil Guyana Limited, Hess Corporation, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation.

“The recruitment, up to now is being done Exxon and SBM. Because the Guyana Technical Training College is still yet being formed. So Exxon and SBM has been managing that up to now. GTTCI is gonna have a stronger hand in this recruitment. Not necessarily for this October intake but certainly the next intake,” Professor Sankat said.

Looking ahead, Phase Two of this ambitious project will introduce the construction of a comprehensive campus capable of accommodating up to 150 students. In addition to student housing, the campus will feature modern administrative offices, all equipped with the necessary amenities to foster a conducive learning environment.

Notably, Guyana now stands among a select group of ten nations globally that boast a training facility of such magnitude, thereby enhancing its capacity for workforce development.

In July of the preceding year, a commendable cohort of 24 young adults successfully graduated from the program, attaining certification as operations and maintenance technicians—a critical qualification poised to equip them for careers in offshore operations.