As the government moves to expand renewable energy across Guyana through large-scale solar projects, women are being equipped with the skills needed to take on technical roles within the rapidly growing sector.
The initiative is part of a broader push to build local capacity while promoting gender inclusion in non-traditional fields. The initiative falls under the Guyana Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Programme (GUYSOL), which is being implemented by the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL).
For the women, the training is more than a job; it is an opportunity to excel in the technical field.
“This initiative is really great…The fact that they are doing this for women is totally amazing,” apprentice Allayah Munroe said.
Apprentice Jael Howard said the programme opened many doors for her in a traditionally male-dominated field.
“It has given us an opportunity to work in the electrical field, more specifically, the renewable energy field, where it is male-dominated. We as women are now getting our opportunity to participate in the renewable energy sector, and that feels great,” Howard said.
Shomieka Isaacs-Garraway explained that the training covered installation, maintenance and troubleshooting of solar panels.
“For me, it has been an exciting journey. I have never worked in a technical field before, so this was an amazing opportunity. It was not as hard as I thought it would be,” she stated.
Isaacs-Garraway believes that the growth of renewable energy would benefit both the country and job seekers.
At a consultation exercise for the Linden Solar Farm in Region Ten on Tuesday, GPL’s Programme Coordinator, Amir Dillawar, explained that “There is a very clear gap nationally where young women are not entering into the technical fields. The purpose of this specific programme is to try to address that gap.”
He added that nine women from Linden were trained in solar PV installation, along with life-skills coaching.
The apprentices were supposed to work with contractors on the solar farm, but delays in the Linden project made that impossible.
Unlike in Berbice and Essequibo, where construction was already underway, the Linden project had to be re-tendered.
As a result, the trainees spent most of their apprenticeship attached to local utilities, carrying out technical work in Linden. The practice session is expected to conclude in February.
With applications currently open, Dillawar announced that a second batch of women from Linden will soon begin their training, which will coincide with active construction on the solar project.
He noted that discussions are underway with contractors to determine whether trained participants could be employed on-site or retained as permanent staff once construction reaches full scale.
The Linden Electricity Company Inc (LECI) has since expressed interest in retaining some of the trained women as staff.
Meanwhile, interested applicants for the next training batch are required to apply online and submit their academic credentials via email. Passes in Mathematics, English and a Science subject are required.