Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning Keoma Griffith declared on Wednesday that Guyana cannot afford to produce anything less than a “world-class workforce for a world-class economy…”
Speaking on day two of the fourth annual Local Content Summit, Griffith reported that the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), a state agency that trains workforce skills, trained more than 1,600 people nationwide already this year.
“As of April 2026, the Board of Industrial Training had 1,679 beneficiaries… representing approximately 70% of its annual target. Importantly, these programs continue to promote inclusive workforce participation, with 942 males and 733 females benefiting from training in market-driven occupations such as heavy equipment operation, electrical installation, welding and fabrication, information technology, commercial food preparation, and emerging technology fields,” Minister Griffith said.
Griffith noted that more than 16,000 people were trained through BIT between 2020 and 2025. He said the government is also strengthening workforce planning to ensure training programs remain aligned with industry needs.
“Our objective is simple. To build a workforce that is globally competitive, highly skilled, and fully prepared to seize opportunities across every sector of this economy. As a nation, we cannot afford to produce anything less than a world-class workforce for a world-class economy. Our people are capable of excellence, and we must continue investing in their success,” he said.
Griffith also pointed to the Guyana Technical Training College at Port Mourant, Region Six, as a key component of the country’s workforce development strategy.
He said additional initiatives, including the National Job Bank platform, the Skills Connect program, the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarships, STEM education partnerships, and the removal of tuition fees at the University of Guyana, are helping to build a workforce capable of meeting the demands of both traditional and emerging sectors.
“Collectively, these initiatives form the foundation of a modern workforce ecosystem, one that integrates education, skill development, labor market intelligence, employment facilitation, and industry partnerships into a single national framework. This will ultimately ensure that Guyanese workers are not merely participants in economic transformation, but leaders within it,” Griffith added.
The Local Content Summit 2026 is being held under the theme “From Policy to Prosperity: Unlocking Opportunities Through Collaboration.”
