ExxonMobil supports workforce development with $100M STEM initiative

President Ali and Exxon's Darren Woods

ExxonMobil has launched a US$100 million Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) initiative aimed at strengthening science, technology, and mathematics education across Guyana.

The initiative also includes the creation of a nationwide network of STEM centres, with the first to be established at the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus.

Speaking during a ceremony hosted at State House on Monday evening, ExxonMobil Chief Executive Officer Darren Woods stressed that STEM is the foundation of every modern society, as he expressed pleasure in launching the initiative.
“These disciplines will help to power Guyana’s success in the 21st century. Later this year, we will launch comprehensive teacher training for secondary mathematics and science education in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the University of Guyana, building on a strong partnership that has supported education and workforce development for years,” he noted.

Emphasising that the goal is to inspire the next generation of Guyanese engineers and scientists, Woods shared plans for the establishment of the centres.
“Additionally, we will establish a nationwide network of student STEM centres, with the first starting in Georgetown at the University of Guyana sometime around 2028 or 2029. These centres will provide hands-on STEM learning for teens and young adults across the country and will mirror a successful model that President Irfaan Ali visited in the United States last year,” he outlined.

The CEO added that over the next 10 years, the STEM initiative will train thousands of educators and reach tens of thousands of students, inspiring a new generation of leaders.

He said he is confident that within the next decade ExxonMobil will deliver more initiatives like these.
In his remarks, President Irfaan Ali said it is important that the next generation of Guyanese be equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills, and training to take the country forward.“…and to ensure that we have the human capacity and capability to do this. The education agenda and the training agenda are critically linked to the pathway we are deliberately taking in advancing our country. It is a pathway of innovation, education, and entrepreneurship,” he said