Guyanese showing deep interest in getting certified on Coursera

Following an announcement on September 4 that the Education Ministry in partnership with the Commonwealth of Learning will be providing free access to online courses to Guyanese offered by Ivy League and other reputable universities through Coursera, over 24,000 persons have registered.
The initiative that was implemented by the Ministry is aimed at providing Guyanese with the opportunity to improve their skills and competencies, and to enhance their performance and employability.
According to the Ministry, the initiative will serve to help unemployed Guyanese and those who may need to transition to new occupations.
Reports showed as of Wednesday, September 9, 2020, a total of 24,498 Guyanese have registered on the platform and 161 persons have completed their courses or graduated.
During the launching of a mass innovation and ICT training for teachers by the Education Education on Tuesday, Education Minister Priya Manickchand said her Ministry has received reports from the Commonwealth of Learning, that Guyana is in the category that has the most learners on that platform.
“What we saw is that some of the courses, and this is how Guyanese are, some of the courses, that will take two weeks, and two months, people are finishing within two days, or one week. We see a deep interest with persons getting certified on these courses.”
The Minister urged that Guyanese grasp every opportunity that is available to them during this pandemic, given that the world has had to turn to virtual learning, to curb the spread of COVID-19. She said that this opportunity will provide a vast number of persons in Guyana with quality learning experiences.
The learning platform that is available free of cost, will run until December 31, 2020. The initial deadline for registration of the courses was September 30, 2020. However, it has been extended to October 31, 2020.
Guyanese that wish to register on the platform can visit the website: www.education.gov.gy/upskill