Twenty-four Guyanese have completed the first phase of Advanced Skills Training in Petroleum Operations and “are now one step closer to being internationally-qualified to function in various technical roles onboard the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels operating offshore Guyana.”
This is according to a press release from SBM Offshore, which said that the trainee technician programme was facilitated at LearnCorp International (LCI), a privately-owned institution operated by Cape Breton University in Nova Scotia, Canada.
It is the second batch of Guyanese to have been trained under this programme and over the past year, the trainees received both theoretical and practical instruction in their respective disciplines which included Mechanics, Electrical, Instrumentation and Production, the release said.
Several of them have received awards for outstanding performances among them a number of female trainees who “performed exceptionally well in their respective disciplines,” the release said.
It shared that trainee Arantxa English received two awards—the LCI Safety Award by Discipline—and the LCI Most Improved Trainee by Discipline, both within the Electrical field.
The release quoted her as saying “I felt honoured and blessed that I was granted this opportunity to experience the programme and I feel well-accomplished. I am grateful that they continue with putting out these programmes because it is important for young Guyanese generations to be involved in this sector as SBM Offshore has provided for us.”
Shannon Tungcap, another female from the group, was awarded the Best Trainee per Discipline in the Mechanical field; while Selma Simon and Preya Singh attained the LCI Safety Award by Discipline in their respective fields of Mechanics and Instrumentation.
Meanwhile, Kester Tobin, who was awarded the Best Overall Trainee and also the SBM Offshore Operations Manager Award Best Trainee per Discipline for his stellar performance in the Electrical field, said that he learnt a range of new electrical information that he was not exposed to prior to the training.
“I really appreciated this opportunity because it really helped me to grow over all, in terms of safety, teamwork – it was a real wonderful opportunity and I believe that more youths should try to get into this programme because it’s a very great programme, you benefit a lot from it,” the release said were the sentiments expressed by Tobin.
The press statement said that during the ceremony, Operations Manager of the Liza Unity FPSO, Ranieri Soares relayed a message from the company’s Group Human Resource Director, Anne Guerin-Moens, “commending the team for their excellent performances, and emphasising the company’s commitment to developing their capacity.”
The release quoted him as saying, “We are very committed to building local Guyanese as the Local Content Act stipulates. We are very proud to be part of this development of the whole country, and you are now ready to embrace SBM Offshore’s core values, which is Integrity, Care, Entrepreneurship and Ownership.”
SBM Offshore Guyana’s Human Resource Manager, Onecia Johnson meanwhile, is said to have applauded the team for a “job well done.” “Your SBM Offshore family is delighted at your success and welcomes you to the team. We look forward to your return and the invaluable contributions you will make as you continue this journey within our operations,” she was quoted as saying.
According to the release, the Programme is one of several initiatives undertaken by the company to build the capacity of Guyanese to serve the local oil and gas sector, and is aligned with the company’s Local Content commitments to upskill Guyanese.
