Access to education, an inherent right of every individual – Min Hamilton
– affirms Guyana’s transformative agenda of leaving ‘no one behind’
Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton has reiterated his country’s dedication to its transformative development agenda that seeks to cultivate a workforce that is diverse, highly skilled, and competitive enough to meet the demands of a rapidly changing global economy.
Minister Hamilton was at the time addressing the 3rd Session of the Permanent Forum on Peoples of African Descent in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday.
“In ensuring that this right is respected and promoted, we must ensure that changing realities do not negatively affect access to and the delivery of the quality of education,” Minister Hamilton told those present.
Emphasising the need for significant investments in human capital for Guyana’s transformation, Minister Hamilton asserted that the right to development remains a policy priority for the nation, as outlined in Article 17 of the Draft Declaration.
“We continue to provide free education from nursery to secondary levels. We have already attained universal primary education and aim to attain universal secondary education by 2026. Most notably, every school child, whether attending a public or private school, receives an annual voucher of USD$200. We are moving incrementally towards free tertiary education at the University of Guyana,” he further underscored.
In light of the evolving global landscape, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) play an increasingly crucial role, particularly in the context of Guyana’s rapidly growing and diverse economy.
Additionally, the Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI) TVET programme was specifically crafted to nurture entrepreneurship and foster the development of the local workforce, thereby advancing sustainable economic diversification in Guyana.
This initiative is open to all Guyanese, with women comprising approximately 48 per cent of participants enrolled in TVET institutions.
Recipients are engaged in non-traditional technical fields such as heavy-duty equipment operation, electrical installation, and general construction.
Since its inception in 2021, the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) has successfully fulfilled its objective of providing over 20,000 tertiary-level scholarships to Guyanese from every region.
A noteworthy aspect is that over 60 per cent of participants are female.
Moreover, the Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN), established in 2022, has already positively impacted over 8,000 women through various skill training programmes tailored for entrepreneurial ventures.
Importantly, all these programmes are provided to participants free of cost.
“Our government has invested significant resources in these programmes which will benefit our youthful population and facilitate the closure of the skills gap in our job market. This commitment is shared through a variety of programmes across different sectors aimed at empowering all Guyanese,” the labour minister stressed.