UG Berbice job fair connects hundreds to jobs, training, business opportunities

Hundreds of students, job seekers and professionals turned out at the University of Guyana’s (UG) Berbice Campus at Tain, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), for a job fair that brought together employers, training agencies, utility companies, academic departments and private sector entities offering pathways into employment, skills training and entrepreneurship.
The event featured a wide cross-section of opportunities, ranging from academic programmes and technical training to vacancies in agriculture, utilities, offshore operations, supermarkets and the public sector. Several booths also promoted small business development, wellness products and creative enterprises, turning the fair into more than a recruitment exercise. Among the agencies present was the Labour Ministry, which showcased five departments, including the Labour Department, Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency, Board of Industrial Training (BIT), Co-operatives Department and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Department. Clarence Shacho the BIT representative in Region Six, said the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency (CRMA) was using its job bank to connect applicants with available vacancies. Shacho said vacancies were available at J Supermarket, Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo’s) Albion Estate and Massy at Palmyra. He said persons seeking employment can access the job bank, apply for available vacancies and receive guidance where necessary. He also said the BIT was offering courses in areas such as Information Technology (IT), catering, welding, mechanics, electrical installation, air conditioning and general building construction. GuySuCo also used the fair to make a major recruitment push, with Shazad Chinapen, Human Resources Manager at Albion Estate, saying the corporation has vacancies across its field, factory, technical and staff operations. He said Albion Estate alone has about 300 vacancies, while the three Berbice estates, Albion, Rose Hall and Blairmont, may have close to 1,000 vacancies in total.
According to Chinapen, GuySuCo is seeking cane harvesters, planters, fertiliser hands, spray men, agronomy hands, operators, servicemen, agriculture mechanics, auto electricians, fitter machinists and other tradesmen. He said the corporation is also moving further into mechanisation and is now seeking persons to operate and service tractors and other machines used for cutting, planting and fertilising cane.
He added that there are also staff-level vacancies, including for a quality manager and assistant drone pilot at Albion Estate. Chinapen said persons interested in employment can submit applications to the Human Resources (HR) Department, noting that application forms are available for those who need assistance.
Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) also outlined opportunities for both technical and non-technical applicants. HR Development Manager Anthony Johnson said GPL offers a one-year technician training programme and a management trainee programme. The technician programme requires Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) passes, including Mathematics, English and a science subject, along with certification from a technical institute. Johnson said the management trainee programme is open to persons with degrees in engineering disciplines such as electrical, mechanical or civil engineering. He said GPL also has opportunities in customer service, human resources, internal audit, quality assurance and finance.
The oil and gas sector was also represented, although several major companies declined to provide information to the media. However, Noble Drilling’s Local Content Manager, Renata Khan-Bovell, said the company is the drilling contractor for ExxonMobil Guyana and currently operates four drill ships offshore Guyana.
Khan-Bovell said Noble was recruiting mainly for roustabout and welder positions. She said the company is looking for approximately eight welders over time and about 15 roustabouts. For welding positions, she said applicants should have experience and technical or vocational certification, while roustabout applicants are mainly being sought from the technical and vocational training space. The job fair also highlighted the role of the university and other institutions in preparing students for the workforce. Several academic booths displayed programmes, research opportunities and career pathways, while the Division of Education and Humanities drew attention with interactive displays focused on early childhood education and learning through play.