Step forward into opportunities across Guyana – Singh urges GOAL Class of 2026

…as 1st set of Doctoral Degree holders graduates

More than 3800 Guyanese have graduated in various disciplines under the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme, and they are now being called upon to use their certificates to take up the bountiful opportunities that are available across sectors in Guyana.

This call was made by Senior Minister with Responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh while delivering the feature address at Tuesday’s graduation ceremony at the National Cultural Centre in Georgetown.
According to Dr Singh, the GOAL programme, grounded in a strategic vision for national transformation, is part of a revolution in education and skills development, having recognised that a modern economy like Guyana’s cannot function without modern skills.
“From education to engineering, from business to technology, from health sciences to environmental management, GOAL is building a national skill base, and this is not just education. This is economic infrastructure. This is an investment in the human capital. This is national development in action,” he posited.
With these newly acquired skillsets and knowledge, the finance minister urged the graduates to position themselves to take advantage of the exciting opportunities that are available in the country.
“Across every sector of this economy – energy, infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, healthcare, education, technology – opportunities are expanding at a pace never before seen in our national history. But opportunity alone is not enough. Opportunity must be seized.
“And so, the question you must ask yourselves as you step forward today and receive these certificates is, will you step forward into these opportunities, or will you stand aside and admire your certificates and watch others define the future?”

Help build Guyana’s future
Minister Singh went on to laud the achievement of the graduates of the 2026 class, noting that it is not just personal but an investment by the Government into the country’s future. To this end, he outlined that the graduates have a responsibility to help build Guyana’s future.
“Your certificate is not merely a piece of paper. Your certificate is a responsibility. It is a tool. It is a key – a key that opens doors not just for personal advancement but for national progress. Because education is never about the individual receiving the certificate. Education is really about the society that you serve, that those being educated will serve. It is about the problems you will solve; it is about the systems you will improve. It is about the communities you will uplift. It is about the ideas you will create. It is about the leadership you will provide and it is about the people you will serve,” he asserted.

Make a difference in Guyana
Similarly, Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation Minister Zulfikar Ally, during his remarks, told the graduates that they are now expected to use those skills acquired to make a difference in Guyana.
“You now are well-equipped to face the new Guyana, the ever-changing Guyana, the digital Guyana, the modern Guyana. You must be now part of the solutions to challenges that we face as a country,” he noted.
Those challenges, according to Minister Ally, are not the same as those persons encountered seven to 10 years ago. For instance, he says graduates no longer have to worry about finding jobs after leaving school or even about having to repay tuition fees given that the Dr Irfaan Ali-led People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration has made education from nursery to tertiary completely free.
“You don’t have to worry about the two most fundamental things that people all over the world worry about when they graduate – finding out jobs and paying back student loans,” he asserted.
According to the Public Service Minister, “Today, companies are looking for workers instead of workers looking for jobs. The labour force needs you. Our country needs you. Now is the time you make your parents and grandparents, and all those who toiled to make our country what it is today, proud of you.”
Of the 3876 graduates, some 2858 are women; 836 persons graduated with a Master’s Degree and 35 were PhD graduates – the first batch of doctoral graduands under the GOAL programme.
Among the new PhD graduands is this year’s valedictorian, Dr Tandeka Barton, who noted that the GOAL programme changed the reality for many Guyanese wanting to upskill themselves. Moreover, 99 of the graduates were from Region One (Barima-Waini), 185 from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), 609 from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), a whopping 2004 from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), 191 from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), 350 from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), 62 from Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), 33 from Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), 82 from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), and 261 from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
With Tuesday’s graduation, the total number of students who have completed their studies under GOAL has gone up to 14,007.
Since its launch in 2021, GOAL has provided some 54,793 Guyanese with opportunities to pursue studies at the certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate levels through partnerships with 38 local, regional and international institutions.