Gov’t creating an environment to foster stable employment, training opportunities – Jagdeo

-More choices are now available resulting in labour mobility

Guyana’s economy continues to experience massive growth that has allowed Guyanese to grasp better opportunities in the private and public sectors, creating greater labour mobility.

Despite some shortages in the local job market, the government is taking proactive steps to address this issue. Training opportunities are being provided through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) and the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), among other accredited institutions, as well as through job creation across sectors.

A technical school is also being established at Port Mourant in Region Six, that will provide training and job opportunities to Guyanese.

According to PPP General Secretary, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, labour mobility should be celebrated since people are now presented with more choices in the job market.  “You’re going to continue to have labour mobility. There is no position in the government where we can restrict that and it’s hard to compete with the alternative. It’s a right that citizens should have [and] this is something that should be celebrated too. There was a time when people felt they had no option than to stick with one job for life,” Dr Jagdeo expressed at a recent press conference.It is difficult for companies to find persons skilled in plumbing, carpentry, masonry and other technical skill sets, therefore, pushing them to import labour. However, this is unique to Region Four, Dr Jagdeo pointed out.

“The situation is not the same in other regions of the country [and so] we don’t want to allow large numbers to come here when our people in other parts of the country are still looking for a job. But because they don’t have the same level of economic activity in those regions, they can’t find one as yet.

“That is why we are bolstering this with a part-time job. We’re focusing on training people, we are urging them to be trained, we’re urging labour mobility,” the general secretary highlighted.

The government has also engaged companies to establish facilities to accommodate labourers from other regions, as a way to promote labour mobility.