Three years after entering into petroleum production, Guyana has met less than half of the needed technical skills in the areas of engineering and environmental specialists and there is still a large deficit in relation to seafarers.
“…Of the high demand jobs, welders and engineers, environmental specialist, there are only 49.6% of those skills readily available,” World Bank Resident Representative for Guyana and Suriname, Diletta Doretti said as she made reference to an International Organization for Migration report.
Though the country’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) was given the spotlight on programmes tailored for the sector needs, Stena Drilling, one of ExxonMobil’s main contractors, lamented there is not enough focus on equipping locals with seafaring skills to take up jobs available in the market.
Stena’s Health, Safety and Environment Manager, Paul McDonald stressed there are vast gaps in the sector that need to be filled. He used the opportunity to question India’s High Commissioner to Guyana Dr. K. J Srinivasa on whether his country is assisting in any way to address the shortage.
In response, Srinivasa explained that the Guyana delegation that visited India last month, had signed Memoranda of Understanding with several companies and marine agencies to address existing gaps.
The discussion was part of the first panel at the International Energy Conference that is currently ongoing at the Marriott Hotel. The panel comprised Doretti, McDonald, Srinivasa, and Ritesh Tularam, Deputy Chief Education Officer, Ministry of Education, and was moderated by United Nations Guyana Resident Coordinator, Yeşim Oruç. It discussed the topic of Skills Development and the Future of Work.
During the discussion, Doretti explained that the World Bank is currently collaborating with the Ministry of Education’s TVET programme in a US$44 million human capital development project to equip and give Guyanese access to skills for the job market.
She explained that through the support, they are looking at ways in which they can develop and modernise the TVET curriculum and how training can be made available to youths, not just for the oil and gas sector, but beyond.
Through the council for TVET, Tularam explained they have been continuously involved with the private sector to assess their needs and keep abreast of emerging trends.
Tularam said that apart from providing training, they have also launched a programme to certify persons who are experienced and skilled but never obtained certification.
He stated that once the persons have years of experience, they can visit a technical institute and engage in the process of certification. According to him, they have recognised that while persons are skilled in numerous areas they were not certified, resulting in them being disqualified from employment opportunities.
He stressed that they must also have partnerships with the private sector in order for them to succeed in creating a skilled work force.
“Partnerships are very important to alleviate deficiencies… the private sector is the one that benefits,” he posited, while pointing out that there is a hefty cost for training.
He said that should the private sector step up and offer internship and fellowships, it would be an excellent boost to the workforce.
Tularam, who heads the TVET programme, explained too that through the World Bank project, they will focus on policy development geared towards having the private sector involved internships and fellowships.
During the panel discussion, Oruç pointed out that youths with a technical certificate and solid secondary school education also stand the chance of excelling and climbing the ladder of success in their careers. She made the point that not everyone has to secure a top university education to excel.
As the discussion turned towards the future and the transfer of skills, Tularam explained that the setting up of the Hospitality and Tourism institute in Port Mourant, along with National Oil and Gas Institute, are two agencies which will be used to achieve the goal.
He asserted that at the same time they are working to bridge the gaps between the coast and the hinterland to provide equal opportunities to youths, focus will also be placed on having girls become a part of the skilled workforce.
He said that the ministry has appointed a Deputy Chief Education Officer for the Hinterland. Through that office, they are working to equip facilities with the necessary tools to encourage students to take up TVET. Already Region One has drawn abreast with the coast.
In addition, Tularam spoke of working with secondary schools to promote the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) programme.
