IN a significant step towards empowering young people and boosting human capacity in Region Two, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Sonia Parag, has launched the One Guyana Digital Programme.
This initiative, inaugurated recently at the Anna Regina Secondary School Auditorium, aims to train ambitious Guyanese students as full-stack developers, providing them with the critical skills needed to succeed in the fast-evolving technology sector.
Minister Parag emphasised that the One Guyana Digital Programme is an extension of the Government of Guyana’s Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship initiatives. Originally planned under the Ministry of the Public Service, where she previously served, the programme is part of the People’s Progressive Party’s commitment to enhancing the nation’s human resources by offering 20,000 online scholarships by 2025.

The programme’s popularity has already exceeded expectations, with over 28,000 Guyanese currently pursuing online scholarships through GOAL, surpassing the initial target.
“This programme, called the One Guyana Digital Programme, is run by a Canadian company in collaboration with the Canadian Government and the Government of Guyana,” Minister Parag stated. “It is designed to equip you with IT knowledge within a few months, offering a course valued at $10,000 USD, entirely free through GOAL.”

The course spans eight months and guarantees job placement upon completion, preparing graduates to develop platforms that support the business community. Minister Parag urged the youth to fully take advantage of this valuable opportunity, emphasising that the programme is not just about job preparation, but is also about creating a future workforce equipped with the expertise and resilience needed to thrive in the digital age. This aligns with the government’s broader vision of enhancing human-resource capacity.
Providing further insight into the programme, Phillipe Walker explained that it is an intensive online post-secondary full-stack developer training initiative. The programme is set to empower 1,000 selected participants with comprehensive training from an accredited Canadian university, preparing them for job readiness and placement.

The curriculum covers essential areas such as PHP programming, JavaScript, mobile application development, Python programming, website security, and front-end development. The certificate programme consists of four courses, completed over two consecutive semesters (eight months), with no prerequisites, allowing students to take them in any order.
Vice Chairman Humace Oodit expressed his satisfaction that youths from Region Two are benefiting from such a transformative programme. He encouraged more individuals to register, highlighting the initiative as a significant investment in building human capacity. This programme not only aims to secure employment for its participants, but also to enable them to contribute meaningfully to Guyana’s technological and economic future.