Texas, July 3 - Neftegaz.RU. ExxonMobil Foundation said that it will contribute $10 million to a new collaboration with Conservation International and the University of Guyana to train Guyanese for sustainable job opportunities and to expand community-supported conservation.
Initial grant money will fund a feasibility study driven by Conservation International, to further define the details of the program. Once defined, Conservation International Guyana and the University of Guyana will deliver the education, training, research and retention programs that will help ensure that economic growth reinforces Guyana’s environmental development goals.
«This partnership will support the highest conservation priorities for the country as well as education and training for sustainable employment,» said Kevin Murphy, president of the ExxonMobil Foundation. «It reinforces the government’s objectives as outlined in its Green State Development Strategy and demonstrates the value we place on our long-term relationship with the citizens of Guyana.»
At this stage, Conservation International anticipates that training will be focused on environmental innovation and sustainability, and on entrepreneurship in nature-based sectors. Conservation International will tap its partnerships with key international universities such as Arizona State University in the United States to help develop the programs.
ExxonMobil is placing an emphasis on supporting local priorities, including business and employment opportunities as well as broader community programs in Guyana. The company has spent about $39 million with local suppliers in Guyana through 2017 and Q1 2018. Approximately 68 % of ExxonMobil’s current in-country employees are Guyanese.
