Govt. proposes labour committee to help assist with local employment
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — A new National Labour Committee could help with making sure more Guyanese secure high-quality, stable jobs.
At least, that’s the goal behind a new proposal from the government, which said it is considering the implementation of just such a group.
The committee would have a five-step strategy to get more people hired.
The government has not made a final decision on the matter just yet, but outlined its overall plans of how a National Labour Committee would function and what it would set out to achieve.
A statement from the government’s media agency explained, “The government is mulling the establishment of a National Labour Committee to address the shortage of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labour in Guyana as the country develops rapidly.”
It added, “The proposed model for this committee features five components, namely: scouting, matching, foreign workers, communication and manpower surveys.
“The unit would deploy scouts to every community to ascertain how many persons are looking for jobs, as well as their requisite skill sets, and compile this data.
“Based on that database, the matching process would see the connection of [jobseekers] with the relevant skill set with the entity, contractor or ministry that requires it.”
Foreign workers are part of the plan
The government’s proposal to create a National Labour Committee comes as the country is expected to face labour shortages in the near future.
Guyana, dubbed the fastest-growing economy in the world for 2022, is expected to need 160,000 more workers to keep up with its economic boom.
Guyana is expected to need 160,000 more workers.
International labour organizations like the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have projected that Guyana will need to leverage immigration to help shore up its labour force.
They’ve noted that the country, at present, does not have enough workers to fill the number of job vacancies expected.
However, a Guyanese National Labour Committee would incorporate this into its plan, according to the government.
“To address any gaps, foreign workers would be engaged, as the unit would be tapping into other countries through diplomatic missions or otherwise to see where labour can be sourced,” it said.
Further, public-private cooperation would help the committee to be aware of the exact, specific needs of local businesses.
This would enable the unit to “assist the companies, ministries or contractors in sourcing the required labour.”
Should the committee be formed and successful in its mandate, as Caribbean Employment Services Inc. hopes it will, it would be a boon for local and foreign workers, and help support Guyana’s booming economy.
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