The Prime Minister of Guyana, Mark Phillips, has officially opened the 3t EnerMech Guyana Training Centre of Excellence, on Friday, 2nd September 2022.
During the event, graduates of the centre’s Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) program received their qualification certificates, with 40% securing full-time employment in the oil and gas sector within two to three weeks following the training.
Joined by over 300 guests, the Guyanese Government delegation, which included US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, Hon. Vickram Outar Bharrat, Minister of Natural Resources, Bishop Juan Edghill, Minister of Public Works and Hon. Sonia Savitri Parag, Minister of the Public Service, received a VIP tour of the country’s first oil and gas training facility.
The $20 million Lusignan base was constructed by the local ODITC joint venture (JV) formed between Guyana’s Orinduik Development Incorporated, Windsor Technologies and 3t EnerMech. The state-of-the-art centre features blended learning software and technology for high hazard activity training, skills hall, a welding, and fabrication shop, rigging and lifting areas and a 14ft deep sea survival pool.
It is the first facility in Guyana to be accredited to deliver OPITO training for rigger, banksman and slinger skills and will soon also add Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training and firefighting emergency response to its portfolio. It has also signed an exclusive agreement with the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) to be the only facility to carry out its courses in country.
The teaching hub was established to empower and provide Guyanese locals with key skills and training certifications that are required to work in the offshore environment without having to travel to the US, Brazil, or Trinidad.
The official opening supports the Guyana Government’s drive for 80% of the country’s oil and gas industry workforce to be local personnel. Since opening, 10 Guyanese nationals have been hired and there are plans for more opportunities as demand for courses increases. Of the current Guyanese training staff, three are graduating students who recently completed the ECITB GOAL programme and have now been employed as trainee instructors.
Paul Attrill, Vice President of Sales at 3T EnerMech said: “Welcoming Prime Minister Mark Phillips, and other special guest dignitaries, to the centre to officially launch our facility is a true honour. There is a wealth of talented and ambitious people from Guyana and we are pleased to be able to help them to reach their career goals. By enabling them to achieve the required industry certifications at the centre of excellence, it removes the costs or inconvenience of travelling to the US, Brazil, Trinidad, or Europe which may have put some off pursuing a career in this area previously.
“Being able to graduate our first cohort of students with the Prime Minister in attendance was a highlight, and one neither the former students nor our team will forget. It was a real opportunity for us to be able to show the VIP delegation first-hand the strides we are making to support a new generation of Guyanese into the industry. Of the 80 graduates, many have already been employed, which is a fantastic result for them, and demonstrates how well suited our courses are to the sector, with more due to be added in the coming weeks.”
The training hub is located next to the country’s new heliport, being built by Orinduik Developments ltd. The site will also feature an aviation and marine Polytechnic School, as well as a hotel and business centre.
Paul Attrill continues “The visionary outlook of our partners has allowed us to establish key relationships with businesses operating within the country. This is a significant milestone in our strategic plans and Guyana focus, coming at a time when its industry is expecting rapid growth.”
