GUYANA’S hopes for economic transformation will depend not only on the resources under its soil and offshore waters, but increasingly on the skills, knowledge and competence of its people.
In that regard, the lapse of the statutory term of the 9th Council for Technical Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) on 31 August 2026 is an important opportunity to review progress in improving the country’s technical and vocational education system.
The 9th Council (Inaugurated in September 2024) Record shows a period of considerable consolidation and institutional development.
Most importantly it shows what can be achieved when policy direction, financial investment and competent administration come together to a clear national objective.
One of the most pressing issues the Council addressed was the long-standing backlog of certificates owed to graduates. More than 3,000 outstanding certificates were verified and cleared and more than 2,000 new certificates were verified and certified in six regions and 24 areas of study at Levels 1 to 3.
These numbers are more than administrative achievements. For thousands of young Guyanese, a certificate is the only document that proves their training and can be the difference between getting a job, pursuing further education or entering a competitive industry.
So clearing the backlog is a direct investment in people and their economic prospects.
Equally important has been the Council’s effort to introduce technical training earlier in the education system. Inspection and certification of 86 secondary schools have established the basis for Level 1 TVET training in 26 courses across the country.
This is the kind of intervention Guyana needs if it is serious about changing perceptions of vocational education and preparing young people for a modern labor market.
TVET should not be considered as a second choice to academic education. In a fast-changing economy, skilled technicians, electricians, welders, mechanics, construction workers, ICT specialists, hospitality professionals and other technically trained workers are critical to the national development.
An additional major development has been the training and certification of 225 assessors in Competency-Based Education and Training.
The alignment of national training practices with the Caribbean Vocational Qualification framework boosts the credibility of Guyanese graduates and increases the potential portability of their skills across the Caribbean.
Quality assurance must remain at the heart of this expansion. The inspection and recertification of 25 post-secondary training centers and institutes across six regions, including the Guyana Technical Training College Inc. in Port Mourant, is an important step in ensuring that increased access does not come at the expense of standards.
It is also notable the involvement of the Council in the World Bank assisted project for the setting up of an ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System. Guyana cannot build a world-class TVET system whilst tolerating weak administrative practices, inconsistent standards or inadequate accountability. Quality should be built in, not only in the classroom and workshop but in all the institutions that are responsible for providing technical education.
Equally encouraging is the growing partnership between the TVET sector and the private sector. Partnerships with companies and organizations such as ExxonMobil, Learn Corp Inc. and the Greater Guyana Initiative can help ensure that training is in tune with actual labour-market needs rather than operating in isolation from industry.
This industry connection is all the more important at a time when Guyana’s economy is growing rapidly. The nation will require thousands of skilled workers to help ramp up construction, energy, manufacturing, agriculture, hospitality, infrastructure, technology and other sectors. Hence, government investment in TVET should be treated as an economic infrastructure in itself.
The task now is to sustain that momentum.
Elon Sooknanan, chairman of the 9th CTVET Council, rightly pointed out the need for stronger leadership, modern management practices and ongoing professional development within technical institutions.
His call for leaders to keep up with international trends, standards and best practices needs to be taken seriously.
Guyana cannot have a modern economy with old institutional practices.
The TVET system should also have in place permanent monitoring and evaluation. Institutions need to know whether their programmes are producing graduates with the competencies required by employers. They must also be accountable for maintaining standards in training, assessment, health, safety and environmental management.
Therefore the 10th CTVET Council will inherits an achievement and a responsibility.
It is inheriting a system with thousands of certificates that have been updated, secondary schools that are being integrated deeper into TVET delivery, assessors that are being trained, institutions that are being inspected and industry partnerships that are growing. But it also takes on the task of elevating these initiatives to the next level.
The next Council should speed up the process of digital modernization, improve leadership development, institutionalize monitoring and evaluation, expand industry-driven training and ensure strict compliance with national, regional and international standards.
There also needs to be a sustained effort to make TVET more attractive to young people and to show clearly that technical competence can lead not just to employment but to entrepreneurship, innovation and career progression.
The Government’s large-scale investment in technical and vocational education is a welcome recognition that the greatest long-term asset of Guyana is its people. Oil revenues, infrastructure and investment may transform the physical landscape but it will require skilled Guyanese to build, operate and sustain that change.
Strengthened the foundation with the help of the 9th CTVET Council. The challenge now is to ensure that the foundation is one that is enduring, a base on which to build Guyana’s ambitions for decades to come.
When the country manages to make TVET accessible, respected, industry-responsive and internationally competitive, it will not only produce job-ready graduates. It will help build a generation ready to fully participate in Guyana’s economic transformation.