Public Affairs Ministry moves to establish the Guyana Media and Communications Academy

Plans for the establishment of the Guyana Media and Communications Academy in partnership
with Coursera has been finalized by the Department of Public Affairs.
It was noted that the Academy was conceptualised as a needed intervention that could help to
upskill and further professionalise the local industry. This, the ministry said will help in the
rapidly transforming socio-economic landscape, with media and communication practitioners
across the public and private spectrum being provided the opportunity to gain world-class
competencies and certifications, as part of the government’s national retooling efforts. The
ministry stressed that the Academy will fill the existing void with regards to professional skill-
based accreditation for local industry players. This, they noted will aid as registrants will be able
to attain the professional status of ‘Accredited’, ‘Specialist’ or ‘Expert’ Practitioners; based on
successful completion of prescribed courses for the various study streams under the Academy’s
‘Continuous Media Education’-CMED Platform.
The public affairs ministry went on to point out that ahead of a formal agreement to be signed
shortly to bring the Academy into full operation, the CEO of Coursera Jeff Maggioncalda said,
“We are honored to partner with the Prime Minister’s Office and the Public Affairs Minister.
Kwame McCoy, to prepare the government’s media and communication personnel for a digital
future.”  He added, “This collaboration will help the Department of Public Affairs develop the
high demand skills needed to communicate crucial policy initiatives and maintain transparency
across key government programmes amid rapid transformation, while raising the bar for media
across the country.”
Meanwhile, Minister McCoy expressed high optimism that the Academy which has been long in
the making, will serve as a significant booster to the local industry. He noted that “until now, the
vast majority of media and communication personnel in Guyana were learning the fundamental
industry skills needed for professional practice through trial and error. As such, the Coursera
partnership for the Academy will now open up a wide vista of world-class knowledge and skills
that will carry international certification and effectively pave the way for recognised skill-based
accreditation of both public and private practitioners.”
It was pointed out that Coursera, which was launched in 2012, is now one of the largest learning
platforms in the world, with 92 million registered learners as of September 30, 2021.
Additionally, Coursera collaborates with over 250 leading university and industry partners
including Yale University, University of Michigan, Google, and IBM to offer a broad catalog of
content and credentials, including courses, Specialisations, Professional Certificates, Guided
Projects, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Institutions and governments around the world use
Coursera to upskill and reskill their employees and citizens.