Govt empowers youth with housing, scholarships, and skills training — Min Jacobs

– At 5th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

Guyana is demonstrating its commitment to youth empowerment with targeted investments in housing, education, and skills training that are already reshaping opportunities for young people of African descent.

These achievements were highlighted by the Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Steven Jacobs, during his address at the 5th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent in Geneva, Switzerland.

Addressing the forum, Minister Jacobs said inclusion cannot be symbolic; It must show up in the numbers.

Over the past five years, 47 per cent of house lots distributed by the government have gone to Guyanese of African descent, a figure he framed as deliberate redress, opening doors to asset ownership and long-term wealth-building.

“Building on this foundation, expanded access in education continues to transform outcomes,” he said, pointing to the One Guyana framework as the guiding principle behind the administration’s approach.

Through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), tens of thousands of scholarships have been awarded, giving young people access to tertiary and professional qualifications without the financial walls that once kept them out.

On the skills side, Minister Jacobs noted that thousands of youths have moved through technical and vocational training programmes in construction, information and communication technology, and the service sector.

The government is also leaning into the orange economy, opening space for young people to turn their talent in music, fashion, film, and sports into a sustainable income.

Beyond economics, Minister Jacobs stressed that empowerment must include a seat at the table. National consultations, youth councils, and community-based structures are being used to bring young voices into policymaking, alongside efforts to build institutional trust and improve accountability.

“This is reinforced by efforts to strengthen institutional trust, ensure fair treatment before the law, and improve accountability,” he noted.

The country’s digital transformation drive, he added, is positioning the next generation to compete and lead in a global economy that is moving rapidly into the digital space.

Minister Jacobs ended his remarks, stating that Guyana reaffirms its commitment to sustained investment in the second half of this decade.