GEORGETOWN, Guyana – With Guyana’s rapidly expanding oil and gas sector facing an increasing demand for skilled workers, ExxonMobil has commissioned a comprehensive workforce study to assess the country’s labour capacity and future needs.
Alistair RoutledgeSpeaking on Wednesday, ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge said the industrial baseline study, expected to be completed later this year, will evaluate the current workforce, the training capabilities of educational institutions, and the anticipated demand for skilled labour across multiple sectors of the economy.
According to Routledge, the study is intended to help policymakers and industry leaders better understand how to meet future workforce needs while avoiding the so-called “Dutch Disease,” where rapid growth in one sector drains talent and resources from the wider economy.
“It will help us understand both the existing workforce capacity and what additional training and skills development are needed, while also identifying future labour demand, not only in oil and gas but across the economy,” he said.
Routledge acknowledged that labour shortages are becoming an increasing challenge as Guyana prepares for additional offshore developments.
“It is becoming harder to find additional Guyanese workers, particularly those with the advanced skills and expertise required by a highly technical industry such as oil and gas,” he noted.
The ExxonMobil executive emphasized the critical role of the education sector in developing the workforce needed to support the country’s economic expansion.
Latest figures up to December 31, 2025, show that Guyanese nationals account for 68 percent of the oil and gas sector workforce, with women representing about one-third of that total. Within ExxonMobil’s own workforce, more than half of of employees are women.
Routledge also revealed that approximately 1,800 Guyanese are currently employed in offshore operations, many having received specialized training overseas.
While ExxonMobil does not directly employ the large field workforces maintained by major contractors such as SBM Offshore, SAIPEM, and Baker Hughes, Routledge said the figures demonstrate that Guyana has a growing pool of workers ready to participate in the industry.
“What we need to do collectively is continue building capacity, strengthening skills, and ensuring the workforce is accessible and welcoming to everyone,” he said.
The study comes as Guyana continues to experience unprecedented economic growth driven by oil production, with several new offshore projects expected to come on stream in the coming years.
