The Ministry of Education on Monday launched what may well be the most all-inclusive initiative up to this time to equip Guyanese with a working knowledge of aspects of the oil and gas sector when it unveiled its two on-line courses at an event held at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre.
On Monday, scores of young Guyanese assembled at the Convention Centre to be part of the inaugural event to mark the start of a collaborative initiative involving the Ministry, the Council for Technical & Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) and the Houston, Texas-based e-learning provider for the oil and natural gas sector, PetroED multimedia Inc.
The initiative which will be seen here as part of an ongoing, more broad-based initiative to enhance local knowledge of the oil and gas industry as the country takes its place alongside the various other oil-producing countries, will afford participants exposure to two courses designed not just to provide participants with a better understanding of the petroleum industry but also to better position them to qualify for employment in the sector.
On Monday, CTVET Director Floyd Scott disclosed in a presentation to the launch event that the two on-line courses that PetroED will be offering locally are titled “The Basic Principles of Petroleum” and “An Introduction to the Drilling Industry.” Stabroek Business understands that only those students who satisfactorily complete the first course will be eligible to participate in the second one.
In his presentation Scott disclosed that while the training exercise had been ”in the making” since September last year following engagements between CTVET and PetroED concerns had arisen regarding whether or not the reach of the Houston-based entity was sufficiently adequate to allow for interested persons residing in hinterland communities to participate in the programme. Such broad-based participation Scott pointed out in his presentation was important to the CTVET in keeping with its “mandate and focus to facilitate development possibilities, occupational and skill access to every region in Guyana,” in order to ensure that all Guyanese, their physical location notwithstanding “are in a position to gain a recognition of competence with the ability to showcase talent, creativity and innovation.” Stabroek Business has been informed that the issue of access for hinterland-based persons wishing to participate in the programme has been satisfactorily resolved through the intervention of the Ministry of Public Telecommunications.
Scott said in his presentation that CTVET was pleased with the level of response that it had received from both the formal and informal sectors, a circumstance which he said had allowed for “opportunity to ensure a wide cross-section of the population and differing industries……….have a better understanding of the oil and gas industry.”
