UWI
lecturer warns: Labour
shortage coming in energy
By Driselle Ramjohn
Trinidad Express
Port Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
08 26 07
A SHORTAGE of skilled labour for the energy sector will take place in the next
fiscal year as Government plans to engage in numerous new energy projects,
energy expert and University of the West Indies lecturer Gregory McGuire said
yesterday.
McGuire made the prediction at a panel discussion
on the 207/2008 Budget hosted by the Trinidad and
Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Westmoorings
.
"The projects listed as priority by the Prime
Minister in Point Lisas require an additional 2,500-3,000
skilled jobs, and these are figures coming out
of the National Energy Corporation presentation
at the recently help energy consultation," McGuire
said.
He added that there seems to be some comfort in
the fact the University of Trinidad and Tobago
(UTT) trains individuals in the energy field.
However the question, McGuire explained, is would
the UTT system generate the required skills at
a rate of 1,000 per year over the next three years.
He added that there is a desperate need for the
broader perspective on solving this problem like
the introduction of energy training and courses
at the secondary school level and possibly even
at the primary school level.
Young persons must be trained in the energy field
and they must be aware of careers available in
this field.
Jobs in the energy sector, which
is some of the nation's "best jobs",
McGuire said should not go to foreigners.
"Skills shortages in the energy sector, this
is a more important question than the question
of reserves," McGuire said.
He added that many experts are not concerned about
the recent Ryder Scott report which indicated that
Trinidad and Tobago only has about 12 years of
gas reserves left.
"I was hoping that by today the nation would
have realised the true purpose of the reserves
audit and the way people respond to it. These things
have been said over and over again by a number
of us actually involved in the energy sector. Essentially
the message is that this (the Ryder Scott audit)
is a picture of a point in time that proven reserves
to production ratio and says nothing about your
future prospects," McGuire said.
- dramjohn@trinidadexpress.com
Trinidad
Express
Wednesday, August 22nd 2007
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