The Guyana Technical Training College Inc (GTTCI) on Friday graduated its fourth Advanced Diploma cohort in Oil and Gas at Port Mourant, Region Six (East Berbice–Corentyne), marking a major milestone in the Government’s push to ensure Guyanese secure maximum participation in the rapidly expanding sector.
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, who delivered the feature address, stated that the achievement reflects deliberate policy decisions taken by the Administration to create real opportunities for Guyanese in the industry, noting that “President Ali and our Government were very clear; we want to create business opportunities for Guyanese companies and employment opportunities for Guyanese nationals.”
He added that “the various steps that we took along the journey were all instrumental in getting us to where we are today”.
The graduation ceremony brought together Government officials, industry leaders, faculty, and families to celebrate the success of 20 trainees who completed the advanced diploma programme in key disciplines, including mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and production, areas critical to the country’s oil and gas operations.
Delivering the welcome address, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO) of the Ministry of Education, Dr Ritesh Tularam, described the event as a significant national milestone, noting that it is a significant achievement.
“Not only for our graduates but also for our institution and our country,” he said while emphasising that the programme has equipped participants with the technical competence and professionalism required to meet the demands of the industry.
Industry partners also highlighted the importance of building local capacity, with SBM Offshore Guyana’s General Manager Martin Cheong noting that the training model is now transitioning fully to Guyana.
“Going forward, future trainees will be able to complete their full training right here in Guyana.” Cheong added that the initiative was designed “to build local capacity and create opportunities at home”.
The current graduating batch is the last to have completed part of their training overseas, with earlier phases conducted in Canada before trainees returned to complete their programme at the state-of-the-art FACTOR facility at Port Mourant.
The transition to fully local training marks a significant shift, reducing the need for costly overseas instruction while allowing more Guyanese to access internationally certified programmes within their own country.
