Georgetown: Guyanese welders and other technical professionals are set to undergo high level courses that will allow their expertise to mirror international standards.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) providing international training in these fields was signed on Friday at the Marriot hotel, Georgetown, on the sidelines of the International Energy Conference and Expo.
The agreement was inked between the Ministry of Labour’s Board of Industrial Training (BIT) GAICO and Myer group of companies.
Labour Minister, Joseph Hamilton, M.P, said the move is commendable, as it exposes Guyanese to higher skills to meet the demands in the local producing oil and gas industry.
“The technical people will continue this conversation at the level of policy. I know what the government is seeking to do and therefore every opportunity that we have that we could expose our people to the highest type of training to participate in the industry, I as Minister of Labour and BIT, we will take that opportunity and together develop this country of ours,” Minister Hamilton underscored.
He said government is open to accept investors and expects them to make a profit on their investments. Nonetheless, he added that Guyanese should also be able to reap remarkable benefits from the various endeavors.
“I have had some preliminary conversations with many companies, some working in Africa in oil and gas and we will continue to have the discussions and see how far we can ensure that it bears fruit,” he added.
Myers Company’s Vice President of Business Development, Bradley Myers said the agreement is the beginning of a wider plan to raise the local welding and metal fabrication skillset.
He said while other future details need to be ironed out, the collaboration with GAICO could see the establishment of local facilities to accommodate training.
“For us and our part, it means bringing Guyanese to train at our facility for a time period of roughly four months…. and then come back to Guyana fully certified,” he stated.
United States’ Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah Ann-Lynch also witnessed the ceremony. “I think highly trained Guyanese will be better prepared to get jobs at higher levels, so I think its directly related to local content and these companies are doing their best to make sure the take already talented Guyanese to give them the opportunity to have specific training,” the U.S Ambassador told journalists.
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