The Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) is regarded as the largest government-funded scholarship programme in the West Indies and across the British Commonwealth.
This is according to Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC.
He described the educational initiative as one of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration’s most transformative investments in the country’s human capital.
Speaking on his Issues in the News programme on Tuesday evening, Minister Nandlall highlighted that almost 4,900 Guyanese graduated on Tuesday under the GOAL scholarship initiative, with women accounting for the majority of graduates.
According to the AG, 2,858 women and 1,018 men received qualifications ranging from certificates and associate degrees to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, while 1,150 persons graduated through the Get Ready for Opportunities to Work (GROW) programme.
Providing a broader overview of the initiative, Nandlall disclosed that since the programme was launched in 2021, a total of 54,793 scholarships have been awarded, with 14,017 persons already graduating and another 35,000 currently pursuing studies.
The AG said the programme was deliberately designed to equip Guyanese with qualifications that meet the demands of a rapidly transforming economy, offering academic and technical courses across multiple disciplines.
“You have to be destructive to tell your supporters not to enroll on a free government scholarship programme that will result in their education and certification,” Minister Nandlall exclaimed.
He added, “Today, persons are graduating in the thousands, and they are now equipped to enter the global market.”
The legal affairs minister noted that the scholarships cater to persons from all backgrounds and educational levels, allowing citizens to study while working and obtain internationally recognised certification.
Meanwhile, Minister Nandlall pointed to the government’s broader efforts to strengthen Guyana’s human resource development through investments in technical institutes, the oil and gas and hospitality training facility and the training facility for nurses.
He congratulated the graduates and encouraged more Guyanese to take advantage of the free educational opportunities available under the GOAL platform, emphasising that education and certification are essential in an increasingly competitive global environment.