THE Skills and Knowledge for Youth Employment (SKYE) project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID/Guyana)  on Thursday hosted an Employment Sector Advisory Group meeting and a Labour Market Assessment Stakeholders’ seminar at the Regency Suites in Georgetown, with objectives to establish the Employment Sector Advisory Group members, provide orientation for members and beneficiaries, and share initial results of a labour market assessment relevant to stakeholders.

Representatives from several entities, including Bounty Farm, Roraima Airways, and the Berbice and Georgetown Chambers of Commerce, were among several other attendees which by their attendance signified their readiness and willingness to work along with the USAID/Guyana SKYE project, to further the prospects of vulnerable youths in Guyana by improving their skills.
The SKYE project is focused on strengthening the environment that facilitates youth development; supporting the reintegration of high-risk population; and importantly, supporting youths to find employment, or to start their own businesses; and to support their greater participation as Guyanese citizens.
The Employment Sector Advisory Group will play a direct role in improving the work capabilities of vulnerable and at-risk youths in Guyana.
Membership in this group will provide guidance and participation in project activities; identify employment sector alliances to maximize project resources; and assist the project team in identifying employment opportunities for at-risk youth beneficiaries.
The Labour Market Assessment (LMA) Stakeholders Seminar served as an opportunity for partners to review and validate data generated from the labour market assessment. Seminar participants were from academia and the private and public sectors.
The initial findings of the LMA highlighted the entry point into the workforce for SKYE’s target beneficiaries in both formal and informal sectors for Regions 4, 6, 9 and 10.
The LMA provided information on the project demand for labour within the next three years, and identified sectors in which development of new enterprises may be viable.