Minister Hamilton engages Buxton, Strathspey residents on scholarships
Minister of Labour, Hon. Joseph Hamilton on Thursday, engaged residents of Buxton and Strathspey East Coast Demerara (ECD), on the Government of Guyana’s 20,000 online scholarships programme.
The programme is being rolled out through a partnership between the Ministries of Education and Public Service and administered by the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).
The first stop was at the Strathspey Primary School, where a number of residents turned out to sign up for the programme. Minister Hamilton said GOAL offers over 100 distinct programmes including Information Technology.
He said as Guyana develops from new industries, there will be a need for skills and education to meet the 21st century labour market. It is for this reason; he said the Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali-led Government conceptualised the 20,000 online scholarships programme and introduced same to communities countrywide.
“The Government’s position is when you articulate a policy you have to put a face to it. That is why ministers are all over the country introducing this programme.”
The Minister later stopped at Tipperary Hall, Buxton where scores of residents also took the opportunity to sign up for scholarships. He told the residents there that the GOAL scholarship could be used as a stepping stone to help them develop themselves and ultimately, help to advance their community.
“For those who didn’t get to go to the University of Guyana, you have an opportunity for higher learning. If you are working, the programme does not disrupt your life. You can go to the farm and come back and attend classes in the comfort of your home….”
Minister Hamilton said the PPP/C Government understands that education is pivotal to national building and so, it is committed to delivering its 2020-2025 manifesto promise of providing equal access to quality education to all Guyanese.
Over the past week, Minister Hamilton along with Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Hon. Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC and Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Hon. Oneidge Walrond, has been engaging residents along the East Coast Demerara on the scholarships programme. These activities will continue over the next week.
Over 3,500 applications are currently being processed by GOAL. The applications received represent online and hard copy submissions from the ten administrative regions for 108 programmes being offered by six international universities.