$180M TVET centre commissioned at QC as Gov’t moves to build skilled workforce

Forging ahead with its plan to build a robust, well-equipped and knowledgeable workforce, the Guyana Government in collaboration with several stakeholders and donors on Tuesday commissioned a Technical Vocational, Education and Training (TVET) building at Queen’s College in Georgetown.
The TVET structure which was a dilapidated Home Economics and Industrial Arts Building was reconstructed by A. Ograsein and Sons General Contracting to the tune of $180 million.
Scope of works include the construction and furnishing a Food and Nutrition, Home Management, Textiles, Technology, Technical Drawing and Mechanical Engineering labs.
Additionally, monies were expended for the restoration works, which includes the building of walkways and driveways, surface drains, hardscaped and landscaped areas, external lighting, trestle and fence works, among others.
During her address at the simple ceremony, Education Minister Priya Manickchand explained that the investment aligns with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government’s goal to ensure TVET skills reach the young population.

She added that is also puts a supportive system in place for students who desire to specialise in fields such as Electrical Installation, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Foraging, Masonry, Agricultural Science and Commercial Food Preparation rather than traditional fields.
“Now what does the country need? We need the students with academic qualifications that are traditional. We need the doctors and the lawyers and the parliamentarians, higher quality support of course. We need the accountants and we need the poets but we’re also looking at a country that needs skilled people. A country where we need labour force that can look after the needs of Guyana. The conversation right now in the world is an interesting one, whether or not the academic degrees are worth as much as skill training certificates … We have to give children to young people the opportunity qualified by traditional subjects that I spoke about with the traditional career paths, and we have to give young people the opportunity for old people to train or retrain in skilled areas and so we’re trying to do that,” The Minister said.
She also urged educators who will be delivering these subjects to adapt and or develop new teaching skills to successfully impart knowledge.
She explained that Government’s primary aim is to prepare students with the requisite skills, competencies and the right attitudes to navigate into the various career opportunities, which starts with passing the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).
“With this building that is being commissioned I want to see more students doing Home Economics, I want to see more students doing agriculture, I want to see more students doing Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Technology and I want to see more students in TVET areas, she added.

TVET expansion
Given the trajectory of the Guyanese economy, TVET becomes a higher priority to bridge the skills gap in the labour market and increase employability.
In 2024, the PPP Administration has made provisions for the expansion of training programmes offered for Caribbean Vocational Qualifications from 88 to 111 programmes. A new TVET policy for the medium term was also developed in the first half of 2024 to define and govern skills development systems for post-secondary, tertiary, formal, non-formal and informal sectors.
In keeping with this, several technical institutions will also be rehabilitated, upgraded, and equipped for skills development in the country.
In this regard, $2.3 billion has been allocated to support technical and vocational interventions.