Education, training opportunities will prepare citizens for socio-economic development – VP

The PPP/C Government is providing education and training opportunities for all Guyanese, in preparation for the socio-economic development of the country.

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo encouraged Region Five residents to take maximum advantage of the opportunities the government is making available in education, training and other areas to improve their standard of living.

He was speaking on Tuesday at the launching of the administration’s part-time jobs initiative at the Mahaicony Technical Institute.

The Vice President stressed the need for Guyanese to understand the national vision, while emphasising that the present generation must play a significant role in achieving the masterplan.

He disclosed that almost 90 percent of the PPP/C’s manifesto promises have been fulfilled, and the government is currently working towards the provision of free education.

Through the Guyana Online Academy for Learning (GOAL) Scholarships programme, thousands have already benefitted from higher education courses, with the Ministry of Public Service announcement on June 6, that some 9,000 applications have been received.

Persons were encouraged to take advantage of these scholarships, noting that it also caters for those who did not complete their secondary education.

The short courses will also be provided in  welding, plumbing and electricial installation, which Dr. Jagdeo explained, could see persons making up to $9,000 daily, supplementing their income on a long-term basis.

Regional officials were urged to go into the fields to solicit individuals who may want to benefit from the government’s strategic intervention.

The VP said for Guyana to continue on its development trajectory, there must be practical fiscal decisions and good policies, and that could only be achieved with the PPP/C leadership.

He pointed to the regressive policies implemented by the APNU+AFC, which led to a significant decline in the country’s economy, during the 2015 to 2020 period.

Taking the helm of the nation from August 2, 2020, the PPP/C Government immediately reversed those hard measures, creating a smooth path for the country’s economy to grow.  

While the government’s vision was to physically meet with citizens in 2020, that plan was not possible due to the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

However, this did not stop the administration from working. Strategic mechanisms were put in place which helped to return the country to normalcy.

He said the negative talks by the opposition against the government’s effort is “callous and ridiculous,” noting that when the APNU+AFC was in government it did nothing substantial to help the people of the country.