– investment does not include training, transportation
The government continues to advance its digital transformation agenda, with close to $1.8 billion invested in information and communication technology (ICT) hubs across hinterland communities nationwide between 2021 and 2026.
More than 3000 persons from 200 of those communities were trained under the national ICT initiative. The training is continuous and progressive, allowing participants to advance from basic to more technical skills.
During an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) last Thursday, Project Manager at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Ronald Harsawack, made it clear that the massive investment does not include training and transportation costs.
He said the initiative has already surpassed significant milestones, noting that the number of women participants stands at 75 per cent.
“This suite of training that we are currently doing is at the basic level…We do basic training at first, then we return to these communities to add on to it,” he explained.
The programme is already producing skilled individuals in areas such as programming, troubleshooting and hardware maintenance.
The initiative is also delivering tangible results in indigenous and hinterland communities, particularly in improving access to government services, education and digital communication tools.
According to Harsawack, the government remains on track to meet its 2026 target of 4,500 trained persons, with approximately 1,500 individuals still to be trained.
In terms of infrastructure, Harsawack disclosed that 175 ICT hubs are now fully operational across the hinterland communities, with construction ongoing on an additional 25 hubs, bringing the total to 200.
He noted that increasing numbers of citizens are now utilising the ICT hubs for online applications, education platforms, School-Based Assessment (SBA) research, the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) programme and access to a range of government services.