GOAL will upskill, reskill persons for new industries
-Min. Hamilton launches GOAL in Mahaica
Minister of Labour, Hon. Joseph Hamilton said the Government’s 20,000 online scholarships programme administered by the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) aims to upskill and reskill citizens for new and emerging industries.
On Monday, Minister Hamilton introduced the programme to residents of Mahaica at outraches held at the Sir James Douglas and the Gibson primary schools, respectively.
“We do not want in two years, five years time people from the Philippines, Malaysia, Ghana to come here and they get all the work that big monies pay…
We [the government] want to ensure that we equip with the skills needed for new industries.”
Minister Hamilton said GOAL offers Information and Communication Technology (ICT) programmes that are new to Guyana. He therefore encouraged the prospective students to explore new areas of studies.
“It is outside the box where the big money will be. So, as you register, think and register for different things as you look through the list of programmes they have to offer,” he said.
The Minister said the programmes, which were conceptualised by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and included in the PPP/C Administration’s 2020-2025 manifesto, are available to every Guyanese, regardless of their background or location.
In addition to the formal programmes, the GOAL initiative also offers the Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme, a specially designed six-month course catering for persons who were unable to complete their secondary education. Once successfully completed, these indivudals can move on to pursue a Bachelor’s degree of their choice.
Additionally, Minister Hamilton said the programme targets some 4,500 persons per year. Therefore, those who do not get the opportunity to register this year can do so next year.
At the close of the meeting, several people applied for the schoalrships on the spot.
Mr. Teon Bourne said he is interested in the ICT and business programmes, as well as Food and Nutrition. He is encouraging young people to take the opportunity to educate themselves free of cost.
“I want to encourage them to apply, educate themselves and further themselves because we need to move our country forward and we need to do it together. It is Govnerment programmes and we should take hold of it,” he told DPI.
The scholarhips are being rolled out through a partnership between the Ministries of Education and Public Service. Over 3,500 applications are currently being processed by GOAL. The applications received represent online and hard copy submissions from across the ten administrative regions for 108 programmes being offered by six international universities.