Within the next three years, more than 1,000 certified welders and fabricators are needed to meet the demand in the oil and gas sector.
This is according to Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill.
Edghill was at the time giving the keynote address at the opening ceremony of local welding and fabrication company, Morgan’s Investment Inc.
The Minister said that the company’s expansion comes at a critical juncture in Guyana’s development as the need for skilled technical workers continues to increase.
“That is why the PPP/C government has decided that we are opening up a skills training centre at Port Mourant to be able to train and equip people,” he reminded.
The minister’s comment comes at a time when companies in the oil and gas sector are struggling to find competent skilled and semi-skilled welders and fabricators to meet the demand of the sectors. He assured that government is working with the Ministry of Labour and the technical academic bodies to make sure that the demands are met from the Guyanese people.
Additionally, with programmes such as the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), and the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), the government also wants to ensure that the local workforce is adequately qualified to gain employment across a wide range of sectors.
Meanwhile, the public works minister said that small businesses are integral in helping the sector flourish and grow. He said that they can take off the demand for fabricators and welders in the sector with the right training.
He nonetheless highlighted the integral role that small businesses play in stimulating economic growth, adding that for these businesses to succeed, the requisite commercial environment must be created.
“The growth of small businesses in our environment is something that we all should celebrate. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic government has taken special note and has provided an enabling environment, the incentive mechanism, and the space for the growth and development of small businesses. Your economy moves and grows not just with the investment from major multinational and transnational companies, but the real impact of job creation, employment and community development takes place when small businesses are growing,” the minister said.
Morgan’s Investment Inc. was founded by Dwight & Lelawati Morgan in 2008, with three employees.
Since then, the company has undergone tremendous growth, specialising in a wider range of services, including rentals and construction, and has provided services to several large entities, including the Ministry of Finance, Guyana Energy Agency, Sol Guyana Inc and the Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil).
To date, over 80 persons are employed at the company.
