Some of the students and trainers during the initiative
Several students of the Government Technical Institute (GTI) recently participated in three days of training in regard to cold work asset maintenance and repair solutions, which has provided them with the skills needed to service assets for the oil and gas sector.
Facilitated by Global Assets Integrity and Maintenance Management Services (GAIMMS) Guyana and French company Coldpad, the training represented the first in a series of knowledge-transfer exercises aimed at empowering the young Guyanese workforce and GTI students with specialized skills, products and services that GAIMMS provides to the energy, manufacturing and engineering sectors.
One of the students receiving her certificate after the training
Consistent with this exercise, the GTI students were engaged in virtual and in-person training sessions on safety tools Allmet products and equipment that conform to ATEX guidelines, which are certified safe to use in Ex gas zones 1 and 2 (dust zones 21 and 22) without a hot work permit.
Throughout the sessions, the participants were engaged in insightful discussions, hands-on exercises, and knowledge-sharing sessions aimed at enhancing their skills and expertise.
Skills obtained include maintaining, repairing, and optimizing assets for various organizations, while ensuring seamless operations with environmentally-friendly technologies.
In an interview with Guyana Times, Business Development Director of GAIMMS, Derek Cardinez, related that all the students who participated in the workshop are now certified cold work solutions operators. This, he explained, allows them to offer to the oil and gas industry a range of services that minimise downtime and prioritise efficiency, safety, and environmentally responsible work.
Students being taught about various pieces of equipment
“Integration of technology and advanced solutions is less labour-intensive, giving them the ability to progress in terms of their education and training as well as the ability to have hands-on experience in operations. My role in terms of business development is bringing this to the forefront of major business operations that are coming to Guyana, letting them be aware of the advanced technological solutions that we are bringing to the forefront of solutions,” Cardinez detailed.
Further, to continue along the trajectory established, GAIMMS will be signing with the Government Technical Institute (GTI) a Memorandum of Understanding that would allow for more persons from the institute to be certified and gain the experience needed to operate in the development of the oil and gas sector.
“What we hope (would) transpire is continued training and growth; (continued) growing (of) a relationship with GTI, as well as integration of these students into the world of work, as well as involving them and giving them experience in terms of sustainable solutions,” Cardinez has said.
Testimonies
Several students enrolled in the GTI Mechanical Engineering Technician diploma course have lauded the training.
“I must say I enjoyed this course. I must say GAIMMS’ and Coldpad’s presentation was very professional and quite informative… They’ve showed me things I didn’t even know was possible, such as instead of welding or anything to do with heat, they have alternative methods which are more renewable for the environment, more eco-friendly, and in essence more efficient,” Alex Pooran has said.
Ann Marie Anthony explained, “I study Mechanical Engineering, and we have mock exams coming up, and times like now we need a reminder of why you’re in the field. And I feel like GAIMMS and Cold Pods did that for me; they remind me why I love the mechanical field, because my first day at the training was so amazing to see firsthand what these companies do daily.”
Aviskar Persaud shared that the training has inspired him to seek employment with GAIMMA. “From what I saw during the three days, there are a lot of innovative and new technologies that I’m not familiar with, and this really inspired me to pursue a job with this company, offshore or onshore, whatever the case maybe,” Persaud explained.
