JV brings first OPITO-approved training to Guyana’s oil and gas industry
Offshore staff
ABERDEEN — ODITC, a joint venture (JV) between Guyana’s Orinduik Development Inc., Windsor Technologies and 3t EnerMech, has achieved a key milestone after becoming the first organization in the country to be approved to deliver OPITO-accredited training to oil and gas workers, according to a recent 3t EnerMech news release.
The 3t EnerMech Guyana Training Centre of Excellence, developed by ODITC has been established to support the region’s need to grow its oil and gas talent. OPITO certification is a common requirement for thousands of global offshore workers whose employers require a shared knowledge of safe working practices benchmarked against the same industry standard, the release stated.
The new facility obtained the OPITO approval to train personnel across a range of rigger, banksman and slinger skills and competencies after meeting the strict criteria set out by the global skills organization for the energy sector. In addition, 3t EnerMech is on track to widen its OPITO offering in the coming weeks to include Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training, and firefighting emergency response training.
Located in Lusignan next to Orinduik’s new heliport, more than $20 million has been invested into the infrastructure by Orinduik, Windsor and 3t EnerMech. The training center features its own skills hall, welding and fabrication shop, rigging and lifting areas, technology suite and a 14-ft deepsea survival pool. Nine new full-time jobs have been created, including seven Guyanese nationals, with further local hires planned as an integral part of its growth strategy. It also plans to introduce class-leading simulation and virtual reality technologies aimed at the rapidly growing offshore, drilling and FPSO vessel operations.
3t EnerMech’s Alan Sharp has recently been appointed general manager to oversee the new training complex.
He said, “Previously, Guyanese nationals looking to secure roles in oil and gas would be faced with traveling to Trinidad, the USA or Europe to gain the necessary training and OPITO certification. The JV business between local firms and 3t EnerMech was created precisely to mitigate these challenges, with the Training Centre of Excellence offering appropriate training that’s more accessible."
Now operational, ODITC’s training center has recently entered the final stages of its Phase 1 development, which is expected to be fully complete by September.
Sharp added, “To get to this point, we have engaged with a number of international oil and gas companies, drilling contractors and local supply chain in Guyana to ensure our course portfolio delivers the training they need to support their businesses. The oil and gas sector is very buoyant in the region, and there is a large proportion of the workforce that will need regular training to industry standards to be able to work safely and effectively.”
As well as being able to deliver this first tranche of OPITO accredited courses, 3t EnerMech also recently signed a four-year exclusivity agreement with the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board to become the sole provider of its licensed training in Angola and Guyana.
08.16.2022
