–Vice-President Jagdeo urges persons within Region One to explore available opportunities for skills training as Guyana continues to grow
RESIDENTS of Moruca, Region One (Barima-Waini), will benefit from 400 part-time jobs and 250 business grants, as part of the government’s ongoing efforts to improve the lives and livelihoods of persons living across Guyana.
This was announced by Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, during a visit to the community to launch the part-time job initiative in the region.
He said that the 400 newly employed persons will work for 10 days per month with the government, at the hospitals, village offices, and police stations, among other places, and will each earn $40,000 per month.
According to the Vice-President, the government is also giving 250 business grants to people with existing businesses and potential business owners.
He said: “We are hoping that these initiatives will assist many people in their villages to improve their lives, and also that 250 people will receive a business grant each. Hopefully, with whatever they are doing, they can use the money to improve their lives.”
Vice-President Jagdeo also said that due to the failed leadership of the former APNU+AFC administration and the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a decrease in employment.
“We started with a job deficit of about 80,000 people who were [eligible for work] but didn’t have a job… and that is why we promised to generate more jobs. In Region four, we have labour shortages; if you need a carpenter, a plumber, or an electrician, we cannot find that skill because everyone is building, so we are training people rapidly right now,” Dr. Jagdeo said.
Although he related that the people of Region One are better off today, the Vice-President acknowledged that there are other regions that still have unemployed people.
According to him, this is because the investments have not gone to those regions as yet, adding that they have decided to launch the part-time job programme which will be a steppingstone towards more permanent jobs as well as an opportunity to get more women involved in the work force.
Dr. Jagdeo said: “We can train as many people as are needed here in these communities to do plumbing, electrical work, or carpentry, and I hope that many of you will go into this training.”
With the necessary skillsets, he related that persons in the region could work for at least $8,000 per day.
Dr. Jagdeo also told residents, specifically the “youngsters,” that there are several opportunities for them to learn to operate heavy-duty machinery as well as become truck operators, since truck drivers are also in high demand.
He related that the government is interested in ensuring that all of Guyana’s people, wherever they live, see the benefits of Guyana’s transformation.
During one of his press conferences in May, Dr. Jagdeo had said that with the implementation of the government’s part-time job initiative, residents in the hinterland regions are expected to gain access to an additional 2,000 job opportunities.
The initiative was launched in the coastal regions and has expanded to the hinterland communities. The main objective of the programme is to provide economic relief for the citizens of Guyana.
In the 2023 Budget, the government allocated $10 billion to expand the programme. The skillfully designed employment plan permits one person per household to work in governmental agencies for 10 days per month and earn $40,000 per year.
Thus far, over 11,000 people have been hired since it began at a number of locations. In Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), and Three (Essequibo Island-West Demerara), respectively, a significant recruitment drive has already resulted in the employment of over 2,000 locals.
Dr. Jagdeo, during his visit to Region One, was accompanied by the Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal; Minister within the Ministry of Local Government, Anand Persaud, and the Regional Chairman of Region One, Brentnol Ashley.
