Over 15,000 persons employed through part-time jobs initiative – Dr Jagdeo

More than 15,000 persons have been gainfully employed through the government’s part-time jobs initiative to date.

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, gave the update during his weekly press conference at Freedom House, on Thursday.

The initiative has proven to be a viable platform, paving the way for persons to sustain themselves as they seek out more permanent employment.

Dr Jagdeo said many persons employed through the programme were able to obtain degrees through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), and have been able to gain more permanent employment as a result.

“A lot of people left and a few were re-hired. A lot of people found permanent jobs and moved off. We have had some people leaving, and a few others that came on. So, that’s the purpose of it, to give people a stepping stone to a more permanent type of job,” he said.

The part-time jobs initiative was launched in 2022, as part of the government’s strategic measures to mitigate the effects of the rising cost of living, the COVID-19 pandemic, and several other global factors.

Through this programme, one person per household is provided with employment at nearby public officers for ten days each month and earns up to $40,000 monthly.

The programme was further expanded through a $10 billion allocation in the 2023 budget, to benefit rural and hinterland communities. The government has been on an aggressive drive to achieve its objective of 50,000 new jobs for Guyanese, and this initiative has been part and parcel of the aim.