Spanish language training for public servants this year – Min Parag

The Ministry of Public Service will commence a Spanish language training programme in partnership with a US-based massive open online course provider – Coursera, in March this year.

This training programme will last for 16 months and will be available to all servants in the country, which currently stands at over 54,000.

Former Minister of Public Service, Sonia Parag announced this initiative on Friday during the ministry’s year-end press briefing, highlighting that the partnership with Coursera has already begun.

“This is where we will advertise, persons would be able to apply through an online process and Coursera has their requirements for the programme as well … again, we’re taking a course of development as well as modernization. So, we want to be able to have public servants not to be left back,” she said.

The Public Service Ministry also aims to customize relevant training for public servants in various ministries based on their specific functions and sectors.

“We are looking to train all public servants in all of the sectors and ministries in central government … we would be able to customize a training that is relevant to their ministry,” she noted.

In addition to the Spanish language training programme, Guyana will be partnering with Canada to train 2,000 persons in the field of Information Technology (IT) and provide them with job opportunities afterwards.

“We’re looking to go further than just training and putting them out there, but making sure that they can be independent and able to be financially empowered,” Minister Parag reemphasised.

Earlier this year, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali announced that Spanish will be taught mandatory in all schools due to the development of the country and the strategic location of Guyana in South America.