Over 1600 Guyanese to graduate from GOAL this week

…graduation will further boost Guyana’s labour force – Ashni Singh

The Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) is expected to have its second graduation since its launch, with over 1600 Guyanese expected to graduate this week. This is according to Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh.
In an interview with this publication, Dr Singh revealed that the graduation is likely to occur by the end of this week. The graduates, according to him, will range from bachelor degrees to masters.

“Next week, on May 24, we’re going to be having the second GOAL graduation ceremony, at which over 1600 persons will be graduating in university level courses. Bachelor degree, post graduate diplomas, master’s degrees.”
“We’re going to have 1600, almost 1700 persons graduating at our second annual GOAL graduation ceremony. So, you’re going to have 1600 Guyanese people across all 10 of our regions, graduating with Bachelor’s degrees, masters’ degrees, post graduate diplomas and so on,” Dr Singh said.
The minister with responsibility for the public service noted that this most recent GOAL graduation will add to Guyana’s labour force. Nor is this the only reason for persons to sign up for GOAL, since many persons also sign up for the sake of intellectual curiosity.
“So, these are all elements of human capital development. Improving the skills of the Guyanese workforce and population, to have a better skilled and qualified labour force. And also, to have a more fulfilled population. Some people are pursuing these courses just for their own intellectual curiosity. Expanding their own intellectual horizons. And that’s a good thing,” the finance minister added.
During her ministry’s end-of-year press briefing last year, then Public Service Minister Sonia Parag had revealed that 4750 persons will benefit from the GOAL programme this year… even as the programme has already surpassed its target to provide 20,000 Guyanese with GOAL scholarships free of cost.
According to Parag, the Government will continue to advance its bilateral partnerships with Cuba, China and Russia to make available several courses in 2024. This would include courses such as food technology, biomedical technology, data science and agricultural science technology, among others.
Additionally, to bridge the tertiary education gap in hinterland communities, scholarships to the University of Guyana, Guyana School of Agriculture and technical institutes will be made available to several persons.
The Minister explained that, this move is part of efforts to address the local labour shortage while ensuring Guyanese attain skillsets to become financially independent. It was further disclosed that the Public Service Ministry will be partnering with US-based online course provider, Coursera, to offer Spanish tutoring for all public servants.
A total of 54,000 persons in the public sector will benefit from the initiative while another 2000 persons will benefit from Information Technology (IT) training through a partnership with Canada.
The GOAL scholarship was launched in 2021 with the aim of offering Guyanese an opportunity to advance their education through online and distance learning (ODL) mode. The sum of $1.8 billion in budgetary provision was made available to the Public Service Ministry for the programme last year, given the Government’s commitment to the educational advancement of citizens.
With regards to internet connectivity and computer devices, resources were provided to ensure that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hubs in several regions are functional.
As a result, from 2021 to 2023, a total of 21,442 persons benefitted from GOAL scholarships, and this saw Guyanese attaining certificates, diplomas, Bachelor’s, Post-Graduates, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees in various courses.
Meanwhile, 15 persons in Region One (Barima-Waini) were awarded Government scholarships, 34 were awarded to persons in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and 56 persons residing in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) received a government scholarship in 2023.
Additionally, 142 Guyanese from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) received scholarships, 23 from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), 42 from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and 19 from Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). (G3)