Over 1,400 job seekers who gathered at the Guyana Shore Base Inc. (GYSBI) job fair on Saturday, were encouraged by Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, to take full advantage of the government’s expansive capacity-building programmes.
In his address, Singh emphasized the importance of skill acquisition in securing quality employment and building personal prosperity in the rapidly growing Guyanese economy.
During his speech, Minister Singh spoke of the government’s efforts to ensure that every Guyanese citizen is positioned to benefit from the nation’s economic transformation. He highlighted President, Dr Irfaan Ali’s vision of a prosperous and inclusive Guyana where “every single Guyanese citizen of working age has opportunities to acquire skills relevant to today and tomorrow” and can find quality employment.
“Your government wants you to acquire the skills that you need to get a good job,” Singh said, reinforcing that the development of human capital is central to the government’s vision for the “new” Guyana. The minister encouraged attendees to take part in technical, vocational, and online training programmes, referencing the government’s ramping up of initiatives such as the Government Online Academy (GOAL) scholarship programme, the construction of the Guyana Technical Training College, and the National Oil and Gas Institute which saw a recent graduation of 292 heavy equipment operators in Region Six. These initiatives, he said, are all geared towards ensuring that every Guyanese has the skills necessary to secure meaningful employment in the rapidly expanding sectors of the economy.
“My brothers and sisters… you too are at the heart of this new Guyana story,” he said. He also lauded GYSBI and its parent company, Muneshwars Limited, for planning to recruit approximately 200 individuals from the event, while also building a database of potential future employees.
The Guyana Technical Training College is a collaborative effort between the Government of Guyana and the consortium of stakeholders from the Stabroek Block, ExxonMobil Guyana, Hess Corporation, and CNOOC.
The FacTor training site encompasses a comprehensive array of amenities including classrooms, workshops, and the advanced FacTor module. Financed by the Stabroek Block consortium to the tune of approximately US$13 million (GY$2.6 billion), the project was meticulously planned and developed by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited in close coordination with dutch floating production storage and offloading vessel builder, SBM Offshore, which spearheaded the design and construction of the FacTor unit.
As for the GOAL programme–launched in 2021, it offers online scholarships funded by the government, enabling Guyanese to pursue qualifications across multiple fields. In 2024, over 7,782 scholarships were awarded to applicants nationwide.
Multiple training programmes are also offered by the Board of Industrial Training under the Ministry of Labour. These programmes that include both theoretical instruction and practical application are aimed at enhancing skills necessary for the professional landscape in Guyana.
