The government of Guyana is preparing to host a job fair in New York specifically to draw in members of the diaspora and encourage them to take up jobs in Guyana, thereby addressing a crucial skills gap.
Guyanese Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud announced the initiative during an interview with the Department of Public Information, the government’s media outlet.
While the government has yet to provide specific details such as when and where in New York the job fair will be held, Persuad hinted at what’s to come.
“This will be happening in a very short while, whereby we’ll be targeting the persons who are there, letting them know what opportunities exist in Guyana, what skills we need and how they can contribute,” he said.
More workers needed for jobs in Guyana
Guyana needs more than 100,000 skilled workers. (Photo by aboodi vesakaran on Pexels)
Thanks largely to Guyana’s oil and gas industry, along with other developments, Guyana’s economy is experiencing an enormous boom.
It’s one of the Caribbean nations that experts project will experience significant GDP growth this year and in the future, and labour organizations have estimated the country will need more than 100,000 skilled workers just to keep up with the rapid expansion of its economy.
Many Caribbean countries have been experiencing a skills gap issue for years, and Guyana is no exception.
Persuad noted that the country has already suffered from the loss of human capital due to challenges like brain drain — which has similarly impacted many of its fellow CARICOM Member States.
Mass migration of highly educated, skilled Caribbean individuals has also led to a loss of valuable human capital in many countries, as previously noted by the World Bank.
“[For] any developing country such as ours, losing one skill can have an impact and, unfortunately, in Guyana, we’ve lost many skilled workers and some of our biggest minds,” Persuad said.
“In the last half-century, Guyanese have made a significant contribution to other countries and industries across the world.
“This brain drain has negatively impacted our country, and we are trying to change that.”
More engagement with diaspora
Several Caribbean nations are trying to connect with skilled diaspora. (Photo by Vitalik Radko on Deposit Photos)
Guyana is just one of the Caribbean nations that has been making more of an effort to engage with its diaspora in order to increase human capital as of late.
Over in Jamaica, that nation’s 10th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference just concluded last week to discuss opportunities for diaspora to connect with economic opportunities in their home country.
According to Persuad, some Guyanese diaspora have already indicated their interest in returning to contribute positively to the economy.
“Already we have seen an influx of persons returning to Guyana, addressing the skill gap of over 100,000,” he said.
“What we are seeing is that there is a renewed interest from the second generation, who have built their capacity in various sectors. They are also returning to Guyana.”
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