Nations School of Technology aiming to address local labour shortage

Nations School of Technology recently issued twenty-three (23) certificates from City and Guilds to skilled tradesmen and women in the skills proficiency awards in basic carpentry, masonry, painting, and plumbing.
In a press release on the programme, Chief Operating Officer and Director of the School of Technology at Nations, Liam O’Toole explained that the organisation has become a registered centre for City and Guilds to offer courses that will help Guyanese attain international certification in the construction trades.

“Nations has become a registered centre for City and Guilds to offer courses that will help Guyanese attain international certification in the construction trades. We provide certification to those who have the skillset already through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) by participating in a one-to-two-day assessment of those skills while also offering courses where the skills are taught to individuals who have no experience,” O’Toole said.
It was outlined that the Nations School of Technology has partnered with Guyana Oil and Gas Support Services Inc (GOGSSI) to implement the City and Guilds welding, fabrication, and pipework courses.
These courses also include the RPL assessment, whereby welders who have existing skillsets and hands-on experience can receive City and Guilds certification in a two-day assessment and those without the skills can complete a multi-week training course to gain the knowledge.
O’Toole stated “We are excited to have partnered with GOGSSI as together we bring the perfect combination of practical and theoretical knowledge. GOGSSI, amongst many others, has a need for certified welders and we are thrilled to be partnering with a fellow local Guyanese firm to help support the need for skilled Guyanese to enter the labour force.”
It was noted that graduates who received awards in welding, fabrication, and pipework will have the skillset for employment within the oil and gas, construction, and mining sectors in Guyana.
It was recently reported in the local media, that the Government is exploring the option of establishing a National Labour Committee, working under the Labour Ministry. This proposal particularly targets the labour shortage impacting the oil and gas sector; however, labour shortage has been affecting the country in the construction sector as well.
This has led to several delays in infrastructure projects as many contractors’ works is stalled due to the limited number of skilled workers available to them. Recently, Foreign Affairs Minister Robert Persaud estimated that Guyana currently has a labour shortage of 100,000 people.
“It was assessed that we need, in terms of skills and persons for the various industries and sectors that are expanding, close to 100,000 more persons,” Persaud said.
He clarified that, “It wasn’t a survey done, it was an average or an estimate. So, it’s not based on [empirical data] but rather based on data projections from various sectors. It’s based on what has happened in the country in the last year and it’s based on what is needed going forward.”
Persaud identified the construction and oil and gas sectors as the ones with the highest labour demand.