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Guyanese technicians ready for work after overseas training
The first group of Guyanese operations and maintenance trainees recently returned home after an extensive 18-month training programme in Canada which was organised by ExxonMobil Guyana.
They will soon be deployed to the FPSO Liza Destiny where they will be employed by Destiny operator SBM Offshore, in support of ExxonMobil and its partners, to produce Guyana’s oil and gas.
Next month, the trainees will transition from the classroom to the on-the-job training component to become offshore operations and maintenance technicians.
“We are delighted with the commitment and progress of the trainees during the programme in Canada and pleased to have more Guyanese joining the offshore oil and gas operations in such highly-skilled roles. Growing local content and providing meaningful employment opportunities for Guyanese and Guyanese companies is a priority for ExxonMobil,” ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge said.
SBM Offshore Country Manager Herve Laurioux believes the programme demonstrates SBM Offshore’s and ExxonMobil’s commitment to ensure that Guyanese are meaningfully engaged in every aspect of their work in the country.
“SBM Offshore welcomes the new technicians to our team in Guyana. We are happy to see them join our Guyanese workforce, and proud to see them participate in our long-term commitment to the country,” Laurioux said.
Initially, the trainees were introduced to basic systems training in four disciplines: electrical, mechanical, instrumentation, and operations. This was followed by hands-on work in a classroom setting and now they will put their training to work on the FPSO where they will be mentored by experienced experts from SBM Offshore and other business partners.
The development model for operations and maintenance employees is designed for trainees to advance from trainee technician to fully qualified technician over a period of time with certification and validation check points along the way. They will replace experienced international workers over the coming years.
More than 2,000 Guyanese are working on ExxonMobil activities in Guyana, which represents 55% of the total workforce.
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Guyana Diaspora Forum
We have a large database of Guyanese worldwide. Most of our readers are in the USA, Canada, and the UK. Our Blog and Newsletter would not only carry articles and videos on Guyana, but also other articles on a wide range of subjects that may be of interest to our readers in over 200 countries, many of them non-Guyanese We hope that you like our selections.
It is estimated that over one million Guyanese, when counting their dependents, live outside of Guyana. This exceeds the population of Guyana, which is now about 750,000. Many left early in the 50’s and 60’s while others went with the next wave in the 70’s and 80’s. The latest wave left over the last 20 years. This outflow of Guyanese, therefore, covers some three generations. This outflow still continues today, where over 80 % of U.G. graduates now leave after graduating. We hope this changes, and soon.
Guyanese, like most others, try to keep their culture and pass it on to their children and grandchildren. The problem has been that many Guyanese have not looked back, or if they did it was only fleetingly. This means that the younger generations and those who left at an early age know very little about Guyana since many have not visited the country. Also, if they do get information about Guyana, it is usually negative and thus the cycle of non-interest is cultivated.
This Guyana Diaspora Online Forum , along with its monthly newsletter, aims at bringing Guyanese together to support positive news, increase travel and tourism in Guyana and, in general, foster the birth of a new Guyana, which has already begun notwithstanding the negative news that grabs the headlines. As the editor and manager of the publication, I am committed to delivering Blog entries and Newsletters that are politically balanced, and focused on the positive ideas we wish to share and foster among Guyanese.
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