-as government pushes to close job gap, expand training opportunities

OVER 600 graduates from Regions Three and Four received Board of Industrial Training (BIT) certification on Tuesday, underscoring the government’s ongoing efforts to close Guyana’s skills gap.

During the graduation ceremony held at the National Cultural Centre, Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, reinforced this point, stating that the government has seen the need for investment in job creation.

He added that training programmes such as the one facilitated by BIT play a large role in filling the gaps and bolstering national development.

Speaking on the front of statistics and growth, Chief Executive Officer of BIT, Richard Maughn, shared that for the 2025 cycle, the BIT engaged 3,587 beneficiaries, with females accounting for 1,645 and 1,942 being males.

Moreover, in April 2026, 60 persons with disabilities in Region Six will also be graduating.

Additionally, 22 persons were trained through a collaboration with the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), and international partners: the United Nations (UN) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

This shift comes at a time when Minister Singh says Guyana’s job market is seeing rapid growth and development.

“More jobs are being created than at any other time in our country’s history, and new jobs, new types of jobs, and new types of skills are being generated, many of them for the very first time,” he said, adding, “Because that is what happens in an economy that has been growing at an average rate of more than 36 per cent per annum over the last five years.”

Guyana’s shift also represents a global move, as highlighted during the event. The World Development Report 2019 emphasises that in a changing world of work, skills, not just jobs, are the currency of opportunity. This is why investing in sectors both in and outside of oil and gas remains important to Guyana’s economy.

Adding that Guyana’s story is not just a story of oil and gas, Minister Singh cited the rapid growth in the private sector as an intentional step by the government, and one that has yielded more jobs than ever before. “It is not only a story about oil and gas, of course that is a story, but it is not only a story about oil and gas. It is probably why the non-oil productive sector has been growing at an annual average of more than 11 per cent per annum. The result of that is that, under President Ali’s visionary leadership, in his first term of office alone, 104,000 new jobs were created,” he said, adding that the government aims to continue on this trajectory.

BETTER EQUIPPED

Also taking to the podium was Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, Keoma Griffith, whose portfolio includes the BIT programme.

Issuing a charge to the graduating class, he congratulated the class on their journey and emphasised the importance of their training, and the bigger role they can now play in developing Guyana, gaining job opportunities and gaining independence through entrepreneurship.

“Guyana needs you. And this is why there is so much pomp and ceremony today, because this is a demonstration of the value that we place on all of you, the skills that have been imparted to all of you, and that we want, with this same level, for you to go out into the world of work and be impactful,” he said, further adding  that with these certificates, graduands [sic] are now better equipped to help transform Guyana. “The skills you have mastered, whether in electrical installation, welding, information technology, or health services, are not just trades, they are instruments of transformation.”

Meanwhile, Maughn highlighted the impact that the programmes have had on the graduates. A recent graduate survey revealed that 77 per cent of graduates are gainfully employed, with 63 per cent employed and 14 per cent self-employed, while 20 per cent are unemployed and three per cent are pursuing further studies. This represents a closing gap in job creation and opportunities.

Moreover, Maughn shared that the board has also ventured into the avenue of emerging sectors through the Just Energy Transition initiative.

He said, “In 2025 we upskilled 22 trainers, 17 males and five females, in areas such as EV Maintenance and Repairs, Solar Photovoltaic Systems and EV Charging Infrastructure. This initiative, supported by the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), UNDP and IOM, ensures that Guyana is not just preparing for today, but building capacity for tomorrow.”

While the ceremony sought to celebrate the builders of tomorrow, it also paid homage to the past builders of the sector.

Past Ministers Joseph Hamilton, who served from 2020 to 2025; Nanda Gopaul, who served from 2011 to 2015, and now Speaker of the House Manzoor Nadir, who served from 2001 to 2011, along with Maughn were awarded for their role in developing the sector.

The event underscored the government’s continued commitment to equipping Guyanese with the skills needed to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving economy, as efforts continue to expand training opportunities and strengthen workforce readiness across the country.