OMAI engages Linden Technical Institute on skills development for future mine workforce

Avalon Gold Exploration Inc. (Avalon) has been introduced to Linden Technical Institute (LTI) for discussions on future skills and workforce needs linked to the proposed redevelopment of the OMAI Gold Project, as the company continues to build local content and workforce development into its planning.

A team from Avalon, including Chief Executive Officer Elaine Ellingham, Vice President, Operations Jason Brewster and Director of Government and Community Relations Jake Thomas, recently visited Linden and toured LTI’s business, electrical, mechanical and other technical departments. LTI has approximately 450 students and recently expanded its on-site accommodation by 150 rooms, increasing its capacity to serve students from outside Linden.

The visit included discussions with LTI Principal Hector Anthony and Deputy Principal Keisha Luke-Garraway, with Mrs. Marcel Watson of the Board of Industrial Training also participating. Earlier, the Avalon team met Deputy Mayor Wainwright Bethune, Councillor Abdulla Hamid and other Linden representatives to discuss how the growth of large-scale mining could create employment and skills-development opportunities for the community.

Avalon said a future OMAI operation would require a wide range of technical and support skills, including geologists, mining engineers, geotechnical specialists, heavy-equipment operators, mechanics, construction workers, caterers and labourers. Current forecasts are for approximately 1,200 jobs during construction and about 800 to 850 jobs during operations, if the project proceeds.

During the Linden meeting, the company indicated that construction could begin in approximately 24 months. Any construction timeline remains subject to the project’s technical work, environmental and regulatory approvals, financing and a future construction decision.

Ellingham said the visit reinforced the importance of planning early for the skills that Guyana’s expanding mining sector will require.

“With the potential development of three to four major mines over the next five years, the demand for skills will expand. We need to identify the scope of skills that will be needed at the mines and then support the Institute to develop additional training modules or courses to provide the relevant mining-specific skills,” she said. “On-site training will of course be an important part of the operations, and there are great opportunities once the mines are established to have regular co-op work terms for students or apprenticeships working with the Institute.”

Avalon said the company is committed to exploring future opportunities with LTI and the Board of Industrial Training, potentially in coordination with other companies advancing large-scale mining projects in Guyana.

Linden’s proximity to OMAI, its industrial skills base and its long-standing connection to the former mine make the community particularly relevant to future workforce planning. Many Linden families have relatives who worked at OMAI during its previous production years, while technical skills developed in mining and other industrial operations can be transferable across sectors.

Deputy Mayor Bethune recalled that he previously worked at OMAI, where he learned grade-control skills in the open pit that he later applied in Linden’s bauxite industry. Retired Major General Norman McLean, a former Human Resources Manager at OMAI, also accompanied the team and spoke about the long-term benefits and positive life experiences that these modern large-scale mines can bring to workers and communities.

For Avalon, the discussion forms part of a broader local content approach intended to position Guyanese workers and businesses to participate if OMAI advances. In addition to direct employment, the company has identified transportation, construction, equipment services, engineering, accommodation, catering, maintenance and other support services as areas where local businesses would participate as the project develops.

Avalon is continuing technical, environmental and regulatory work on the proposed redevelopment of OMAI. Employment forecasts, construction timing and future training arrangements remain subject to the project advancing through the required approvals, financing and development decisions.

Avalon Gold Exploration Inc. is the wholly owned Guyanese subsidiary of Canadian exploration and development company Omai Gold Mines Corp. It holds a 100% interest in the Omai Gold Project in Region Seven, Guyana, where it is advancing exploration, technical studies and environmental work toward the potential redevelopment of the historic Omai mine. Avalon is committed to responsible mineral development, stakeholder engagement and creating long-term employment and procurement opportunities for Guyana.