Charles Ramson Jr., Guyana’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, has praised ExxonMobil’s recently announced US$100 million investment in science and technology education, calling it a catalyst for the future of Guyanese youth.
He was at the time delivering remarks at the opening of the fourth annual Guyana-Monaco Mousetrap Car Grand Prix at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on February 26. The competition is hosted by SBM Offshore Guyana in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
This year, sixteen secondary schools are participating in the competition, which promotes Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), preparing students for careers in the oil and gas and other sectors.
Addressing the students, Charles Ramson Jr. said, “We have trained over 8,000 young people in coding and robotics. All of that is to drive what the President and Exxon announced just…after Mashramani…that they will be investing over 100 million U.S. dollars in the next 10 years, focused specifically on the development of STEM.”
He went on to note that “the engineering, the geology, the innovation, the teamwork, all of that is helping to make you better. But it is also helping us become better. Because everything that the company is doing, everything that all of the companies are doing, all of the work that is being done on your behalf and on all of our behalf, is being done to make our lives better.”
The Minister urged students to recognize the link between technical fields and national development. “I just wanted to say how important it is that you understand and you get the connection of how important science, innovation, geology, and all of that and law is to your development and to all of us,” he said.
Over the next decade, ExxonMobil said it will invest US$100 million to strengthen science and technology education in Guyana. During the announcement earlier this week, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Darren Woods said the initiative will fund comprehensive teacher training and establish a nationwide network of STEM centers.
The program is set to begin with secondary school teacher training in math and science in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the University of Guyana. A student STEM center is planned for the University of Guyana campus, with completion targeted around 2028–2029. The program aims to train thousands of educators and reach tens of thousands of students.
The minister told students the investment should change how they view their opportunities. “That is very important to who we are as a country and for all of you. You need to see your future in a very different light. Very, very different light.”
He called on the students to expand their horizons, as career possibilities have changed significantly. He urged them to look beyond traditional paths like social sciences and law, and keep a wide range of future opportunities in mind.
