FROM free tertiary education and fully funded vocational training to housing support, job creation and business opportunities, young Guyanese are being handed the tools to build a bright future.
The Government of Guyana has outlined a detailed, results-driven vision that aims to empower young people across the length and breadth of Guyana, regardless of race, religion or social background.
This forward-thinking vision has been contrasted with the opposition’s empty promises and “election gimmicks,” as the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary and Guyana’s Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo put it.
The government’s youth empowerment agenda targets policy and investment to ensure tomorrow’s leaders are at the heart of Guyana’s development strategy.
Dr. Jagdeo during his Thursday press conference, said: “We have consistently laid out this vision for young people… We want them to be trained. If they want a skill, the opportunity will be there and we will pay for it, any part of the country, for any young person, not just young people but I’m talking about young people here; we will pay it, use all the resources, whatever it costs…”
Whether one aspires to become a mechanic or electrician or trained to gain employment in the oil and gas industry, the government will fund the training or whatever certification is needed.
Those who are already trained and working within the public sector can also look forward to opportunities for up-skilling.
Now with the government providing free high-speed internet in the hinterland, one can pursue their university education in those Amerindian villages.
Notably, public investments in the education sector soared from $53 billion in 2020 to $185 billion in 2025.
The government has significantly invested in constructing new schools, particularly in hinterland regions, expanding access to education and improving learning environments.
This major focus on building new schools and rehabilitating existing ones have also contributed to additional spaces for students. There has also been heavy emphasis on building out smart classrooms across Guyana.
The ‘One Guyana Digital School’ initiative, which was officially launched earlier this year, demonstrates the government’s commitment to modernising the education system.
The programme, a unique and revolutionary concept of President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, aims to integrate digital technologies into classrooms across the country and the wider Caribbean region. The ‘One Guyana Digital School’ is being implemented in partnership with the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).
The platform is specifically designed for Grades 10 and 11 students, providing them with access to CSEC learning materials to support their studies.
The Ministry of Education has also invested in developing smart classrooms in schools across Guyana, while placing renewed focus on technical and vocational education.
The children’s ‘Because we Care’ cash grant and uniform allowance, totaling $55,000 per child, was also reintroduced after it was shelved by the former APNU+AFC government.
The national school feeding programme has been expanded and close to 90,000 students, especially in far-flung areas are able to receive breakfast and hot meals with a beverage. The programme is playing a significant role in improving school attendance and punctuality.
JOB CREATION
Recognising the link between training and employment, the government is pledging to continue improving the public sector such as increasing salaries and allowances.
Those seeking private sector employment would find a market because the government has also adopted a pro-business approach, and pro-industry approach.
Vice-President Dr. Jagdeo said: “So, farming, mining, the hospitality industry, the incentive regimes have been aligned to generate more jobs for young people and better paying jobs.”
He firmly stated: “So, a young person can find a job, and then find better paying jobs and better salaries as they progress or get trained.”
While the APNU’s last term in office left thousands of persons unemployed, the current People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has highlighted that it restored and created in excess of 60,000 jobs since entering office in 2020.
The APNU and its coalition partner, AFC, however, took persons out of jobs instead of creating opportunities, as was seen in the sugar industry.
Under the APNU+AFC administration, sugar workers were begging for their livelihoods to be spared, even going so far as to hold pickets with heartfelt pleas in the scorching sun, at the time. However, the then government turned a deaf ear to the cries of those workers.
In 2017, the coalition government had announced the closure of several sugar estates across the country, leaving thousands of persons without jobs or sources of income. The move saw four sugar estates being closed and over 7,000 sugar workers losing their jobs.
HOUSING SUPPORT
“We want every young person to own a home,” Dr. Jagdeo stated without any hesitation.
Since being elected to office in 2020, the government has undergone an ambitious housing drive. It has surpassed its 2020 campaign promise of allocating 50,000 house lots by 2025, as the government has delivered not only on its word, but also on a vision of inclusive, equitable, and affordable housing for all Guyanese.
This achievement is not just about numbers—it marks a transformational shift in public-policy execution.
The government has also offered support in constructing homes too.
Further, special initiatives are being developed to ensure Amerindian youths can access home-building assistance, despite the unique land tenure systems in their communities, the Vice President announced.
“So, training, education, jobs, housing, recreational and sport facility, a chance to be able to grow in these communities,” Dr. Jagdeo said.
Community development is also on the cards for the government as it has already procured 100,000 street lights to set up in communities for further security.
There has also been more investment in garbage collection and drainage and as such, the government has increased the subvention of each National Democratic Council (NDC) from $5 million to $30 million each to execute these duties.
BUSINESS SUPPORT
Many young Guyanese are deciding to become entrepreneurs and as such, the government has decided to create massive investment vehicles for the ordinary citizens.
Notably, the Small Business Bureau (SBB), under the Ministry of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce (MTIC), successfully trained approximately 10,893 small businesses in 2024.
This marks a significant milestone in the Bureau’s mission to foster entrepreneurship, and strengthen the micro and small-business sectors across Guyana.
From 2020 to 2024, the Bureau reported a notable increase in the number of small businesses benefitting from its training programmes. Key areas of training included: Small-Business Management; Financial Management and Record Keeping; Business Proposal Writing; Guyanese Business Toolkit; Marketing Fundamentals; Delivering Quality Service, and a Label Designing Workshop.
These programmes were designed to equip entrepreneurs with essential skills to manage, grow, and sustain their businesses, while contributing to the national economy.
Building on this momentum, the government has pledged to establish a development bank to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs), through zero interest loans. Preferential help will be given to women and young people, the Vice-President has said.