By: Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
The Guyana Technical Training College Inc. (GTTCI) is strengthening Guyana’s local oil and gas workforce through expanded technical training, offered in partnership with the Government of Guyana and major oil sector operators. This is according to the Institute’s Director, Professor Clement Sankat, who addressed youths at a recent forum hosted at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown.
GTTCI—supported by ExxonMobil Guyana, Hess Corporation, SBM Offshore, CNOOC, and the Government—offers specialized training programmes designed to prepare young Guyanese for careers in the petroleum industry.
Professor Sankat said that GTTCI currently focuses on four core areas of specialization, aimed at equipping students with the knowledge and technical competency required by the fast-growing sector.
“I need young people to understand that while you want to get into oil and gas, come to Port Mourant—this is where you will get the necessary foundation and tools,” he emphasized.
The Institute’s programmes are strengthened through the Facilitator for Technical Oilfield Resource (FacTor) initiative, launched in 2024. FacTor is a key pillar of SBM Offshore Guyana’s Local Content Strategy and plays an integral role in developing a technically skilled workforce capable of serving the offshore industry.
Over the past two years, GTTCI’s Port Mourant campus has undergone major upgrades. The facility is nearing completion, with laboratories, workshops, and new technical equipment already being installed. Once fully operational, the campus will offer residential accommodation and deliver globally accredited advanced technician certificates—a first for Guyana.
“This began as a concept four years ago in the Office of the President, and now today it is a reality,” Professor Sankat stated.
Students are being trained to become production technicians, electrical technicians, mechanical technicians, and cargo operators—the latter being crucial roles within offshore operations, particularly on FPSOs, where the handling and movement of materials require rigorous technical standards.
Earlier this month, GTTCI welcomed 28 new trainees to its 18-month Advanced Diploma in Oil and Gas programme at the Port Mourant campus, bringing the total number of trainee technicians to 131.
Professor Sankat—who will receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Guyana this weekend—reaffirmed that the institute is committed to preparing young Guyanese for long-term, high-skill employment in the oil and gas industry.
