‘You must be educated to compete for jobs’

─ AG Nandlall tells East Coast residents

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Hon. Mohabir Anil Nandlall SC, told residents of Better Hope, Success and nearby communities on the East Coast Demerara to qualify themselves so that they can take their rightful place in Guyana’s oil economy.

The Attorney General was at the time addressing residents in those communities, where he launched the Government’s 20,000 online scholarships programme on Thursday.

The AG said education is the greatest investment the Government can make in its people, especially with the rapid pace the country is advancing. He said the Government is crafting a local content policy to protect jobs for Guyanese, but stressed that becoming qualified is the only sure way Guyanese can truly benefit.

“People from foreign lands will come here to seek jobs, to invest, to make money and unless you are educated and equipped to compete, you will be left behind. We are passing laws to protect our population in the face of that type of competition,” the Minister said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Hon. Oneidge Walrond said the Government is expanding its tourism sector. She said several branded hotels such as the Hilton will soon be established here.

The Minister said there are programmes available to qualify Guyanese in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

“We have to be certified and qualified and we no longer want to hear, and we have decided as a Government that we are not going to hear the excuse that we do not have the human capacity here to meet the job demands of our operations, whatever they may be.

In oil and gas, I speak for the hotels because that is what I have direct purview over. But we do not want to hear that you cannot hire a Guyanese chef, you have to bring a chef from overseas because our chefs are not trained,” Minister Walrond said.

She said the programmes being offered will cater for every sector.

Government Ministers have been leading outreaches countrywide to inform the nation of the opportunities to upgrade themselves through the scholarships programme. The programme is the brainchild of President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, and is being executed by the Ministries of Education and Public Service. The scholarships are being offered by six international universities offering some 104 online programmes.