-as government expands skills training opportunities
Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, has disclosed that Guyana’s youth unemployment rate has been reduced by more than half over the past four years.
This reflects the government’s sustained investments in job creation and skills development.
Speaking at the opening of the National Youth Skills Forum and Skills Search Expo on Wednesday, Dr Singh said more than 104,000 jobs have been created since 2020 through the rapid expansion of key sectors, particularly construction and services.
He noted that the country’s greatest challenge is no longer a shortage of jobs, but ensuring there are enough skilled workers to meet growing demand.
“The reality is jobs are being created more rapidly than we can produce people with the skills that are required to take up those jobs,” Dr Singh said.
He explained that Guyana’s overall unemployment rate declined from 12.8 per cent in 2020 to 6.8 per cent in 2024.
Youth unemployment also fell significantly, from 30.2 per cent to 12.1 per cent over the same period.
To address the growing demand for skilled labour, Dr Singh said the government has expanded technical and vocational training through the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) and technical institutes nationwide.
He encouraged young people to take advantage of training opportunities available.
Minister Singh noted that while many employers are hiring unskilled workers, obtaining recognised certification will improve their long-term career prospects.
“There is more demand for skilled workers than we can supply. Even though I present that as a challenge, like most challenges, it is a huge opportunity,” he said.
Dr Singh also stressed the need to expose more young people to career and training opportunities. He encouraged them to view entrepreneurship as a viable pathway to success.
“You may very well start your journey by getting a job, but that doesn’t mean that you have to spend the rest of your life as an employed person because we are living in an era full of entrepreneurial opportunities,” he said.
The senior minister stressed that the government will continue investing in skills training and entrepreneurship programmes to ensure every young person is equipped to secure meaningful employment or build a successful business.
Dr Singh said the government’s investments in education, technical and vocational training, and higher education are already producing tangible results.
He pointed to the thousands of graduates from the University of Guyana and the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) who have been trained in fields that support the oil and gas sector, most of whom have already secured employment.
According to the senior minister, these outcomes demonstrate that the government’s policies are creating pathways for young people to acquire jobs and access quality jobs to contribute meaningfully to Guyana’s expanding economy. (Department of Public Information)
