The Guyana Technical Training College Inc (GTTCI) on Friday graduated its fourth Advanced Diploma cohort in Oil and Gas at Port Mourant, Region Six (East Berbice–Corentyne), marking a major milestone in the Government’s push to ensure Guyanese secure maximum participation in the rapidly expanding sector.
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, who delivered the feature address, stated that the achievement reflects deliberate policy decisions taken by the Administration to create real opportunities for Guyanese in the industry, noting that “President Ali and our Government were very clear; we want to create business opportunities for Guyanese companies and employment opportunities for Guyanese nationals.”
He added that “the various steps that we took along the journey were all instrumental in getting us to where we are today”.
The graduation ceremony brought together Government officials, industry leaders, faculty, and families to celebrate the success of 20 trainees who completed the advanced diploma programme in key disciplines, including mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and production, areas critical to the country’s oil and gas operations.
Delivering the welcome address, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO) of the Ministry of Education, Dr Ritesh Tularam, described the event as a significant national milestone, noting that it is a significant achievement.
“Not only for our graduates but also for our institution and our country,” he said while emphasising that the programme has equipped participants with the technical competence and professionalism required to meet the demands of the industry.
Industry partners also highlighted the importance of building local capacity, with SBM Offshore Guyana’s General Manager Martin Cheong noting that the training model is now transitioning fully to Guyana.
“Going forward, future trainees will be able to complete their full training right here in Guyana.” Cheong added that the initiative was designed “to build local capacity and create opportunities at home”.
The current graduating batch is the last to have completed part of their training overseas, with earlier phases conducted in Canada before trainees returned to complete their programme at the state-of-the-art FACTOR facility at Port Mourant.
The transition to fully local training marks a significant shift, reducing the need for costly overseas instruction while allowing more Guyanese to access internationally certified programmes within their own country.
Director of GTTCI, Professor Clement Sankat, said sustaining and expanding the institution will require continued investment and collaboration, warning that “these are not small tasks”. They require thoughtful policy decisions, strong partnerships, and sustained commitment and action,” which he said are necessary to ensure the long-term success and regional impact of the initiative.
The President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, reinforced the scale of opportunity facing the graduates, noting that the industry’s rapid expansion will require a steady pipeline of skilled Guyanese workers.
He told the ceremony that production has already surpassed 900,000 barrels per day and is expected to exceed one million barrels per day before the end of this year, with longer-term projections indicating that output could reach as much as 1.5 million barrels per day by 2030, just over a decade after Guyana first began producing oil.
Against that backdrop, Routledge said the role of trained Guyanese workers is critical to sustaining growth in the sector. “We have high confidence that you’re going to do wonderful things,” he said, adding that it needs the right people with the right skills to make it happen. “…You are an instrumental part of that.”
Meanwhile, Dr Singh reminded the graduates that they are part of a historic first generation entering the sector, telling them that “you are the first generation of Guyanese employees working in the oil and gas sector; you are pioneers,” while stressing that the Government intends to expand opportunities even further, adding, “We want thousands more to replicate what you have done.”
The graduates, many of whom are already employed within the sector, were told that their success represents not only personal achievement but also the growing capacity of Guyana to train its own workforce to meet international standards, as the country continues to align education, policy, and industry to maximise national benefits from its oil and gas resources.
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