A FEW weeks ago, a friend and I spoke briefly about the unfolding labour situation in Guyana. We are, in no way, experts on the labour market or upskilling efforts. We are, however, two young Guyanese professionals who studied in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) and often relate Guyana’s pursuits to what we saw/ experienced in that country.

That sounds vague, so let me explain. My friend opined that free tertiary education for all Guyanese could lead to a saturated job market. As we saw in T&T, my friend believes that even though thousands of new university graduates would be churned out every year, there could potentially be fewer opportunities to employ their knowledge and skills. And that could be a problematic situation.

Undoubtedly, with tertiary education becoming more affordable (though tuition might be free, there are other expenses to think about), it is expected that more people will capitalise on the opportunity to further their studies. That should, in turn, lead to more knowledgeable graduates being able to lend their skills where needed. I acknowledge that it becomes tricky to navigate after that, however. Indeed, as my friend suggested, some sectors can become inundated with people, making it difficult for people to get their preferred jobs.

It is, however, essential to note that Guyana is faced with substantial labour shortages and needs many more skilled workers across almost every sector. And it is expected that growing labour needs will exist for some time as the country continues to expand. Resultantly, I believe that upskilling the population could help address the ongoing labour shortages and provide the much-needed, highly sought-after skills needed right now as Guyana’s economy expands.

Still, it is worth mentioning that, regardless of the skill needs, if much focus is directed toward one or a few areas of study, labour market saturation becomes an inevitable phenomenon. And then, we could be faced with the dual problem of needing skills across sectors and the saturation of one sector.

So what, then?

A continuous assessment of the skills needed locally is important to guide policymakers. With that assessment, policymakers would be able to better determine what areas of study they could support. Equally important is providing that information to the public so that people pursuing tertiary education can make informed decisions about their course of study. Because Guyana has been grappling with the migration of its talent (through the ‘brain drain phenomenon’) for years, key interventions and considerations are needed to help develop, retain, and attract the much-needed skills.

For the record, this isn’t to say that people should only choose to study those fields or disciplines where the greatest need for skills exists. Of course, people should be able to study what piques their interest and seek income-generating opportunities that align with their interests, skills and/or talents. If we’re talking about labour shortages and saturation, however, it is worth considering the reality we are confronted by.

Already, Guyana’s President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali acknowledges that labour shortages impact sectors all across the country. Similar acknowledgment has come from the private sector. Both the government and private sector believe that the solution to the issue- or at least part of the solution- lies in training more people in the areas where there is a dearth of skills. Training is a longer-term solution simply because training takes time. In the interim, efforts are being made to comb through the country and encourage those willing and competent, to work. Efforts are also being made to encourage remigration. It was reported recently that private sector players believe more women can be integrated into the formal workforce, too.

Altogether, the conversation on Guyana’s labour needs is happening. I think more people are becoming aware of the needs that exist and that should inform policy, training, and employment. I believe that there should be a greater focus on linking local labour market needs with training and clearly- defined provisions for Guyanese to avoid becoming forced to import skilled labour while the local human resource pool remains largely untapped.

If you would like to discuss this column or any of my previous writings, please feel free to contact me via email: vish14ragobeer@gmail.com