Training, jobs among Govt’s youth empowerment push

As part of its commitment to youth empowerment, the government plans to prioritise initiatives to equip young people for more success. These efforts will focus on training, sports, entrepreneurship, and offering zero-interest loans, among other initiatives.
Supporting these undertakings will be job creation programmes, the expansion of technical courses with free tuition, and increased wages for community workers, according to a Department of Public Information (DPI) report.
These measures, outlined by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali in a recent address to the nation, are designed to prepare citizens for high-paying jobs, strengthen communities, and ensure every Guyanese has access to opportunity regardless of their location, the report noted.

To support the development, Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning Keoma Griffith on Saturday revealed that ICT-driven employment initiatives, such as the Skills Connect app, were already launched.
He also spoke of implementing stronger social protection measures to address issues such as social media harm, gambling, and substance abuse.
“We have got specialised programmes rolling out like ICT training in remote communities and a flagship agriculture initiative that targets youth with high-value crops to spark entrepreneurship.
For Indigenous youths, we are expanding CSO programmes, community enterprises and village-led tourism. And through the new Guyana Development Bank, young entrepreneurs will get zero-interest loans for which no collateral is needed. And because this government cares and is passionate about the success of our youth, young people who access this facility will get mentorship,” the labour and manpower minister emphasised.
Over the last three years, the government has invested more than one billion dollars to expand access to information and communication technology (ICT) in rural and hinterland communities.

Through the ICT Access and e-Services for Hinterland Poor and Remote Communities Project, a total of 160 ICT hubs have been constructed as of October this year.
To support sustainability, the Office of the Prime Minister has also facilitated the training 192 ICT hub managers and 32 technicians. Additionally, more than 1900 residents have completed basic ICT literacy programmes.
The target is to train over 4,000 people nationwide.
Additionally, 181 grants were given to remote communities, costing $855.3 million to outfit community hubs with solar power and high-speed satellite internet.
The government has already abolished tuition fees at government technical institutes, opening the door for citizens to access free training in areas such as ICT, hospitality, oil and gas, construction, and other modern skills essential for today’s workforce.
The ministry is also focused on social well-being, with consultations underway to address social media harm, gambling addiction, and substance abuse measures to build a healthier society.