The Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning has surpassed its workplace inspection target by 50 per cent, while expanding skills development opportunities across Guyana, Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning Keoma Griffith said.
During an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) last Thursday, Griffith highlighted the ministry’s work through the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), noting that training initiatives have been taken to every region of Guyana and have impacted thousands of people.
“Hundreds of young people, persons with disabilities, men and women of all ages are now skilled, upskilled. And it’s not just a certificate. It means that these people are now better positioned to diversify themselves and to take advantage of every single opportunity that is being presented in the fastest growing economy in the world,” Minister Griffith said.
Turning to occupational health and safety, the minister said the ministry has intensified efforts to improve safety practices, particularly as new and higher risk sectors emerge alongside Guyana’s economic expansion.
The ministry has conducted safety awareness initiatives across the regions, including educational symposiums for contractors and builders in the construction sector.
He also disclosed that the ministry is collaborating with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to review Guyana’s national occupational health and safety policy, programme and system.
“We’ve made deliberate efforts to try to influence a shift in the culture of how safety is approached here in Guyana,” he said.
Minister Griffith addressed protections for Guyanese working offshore, revealing that officers from the ministry’s labour and health and safety divisions are certified to conduct offshore inspections and engage directly with workers.
He said the ministry is working to ensure the broader framework provides a solid foundation for protecting the rights of Guyanese employed in offshore operations.
The minister pointed to the Guyana Technical Training Institute at Port Mourant, which he said is one of eight such facilities in the world, and the only one of its kind in the region.
According to Griffith, the facility allows Guyanese to access advanced training locally while helping to position Guyana as a regional training hub.
He said the combination of skills development, workplace oversight and specialised training remains critical to ensuring Guyanese are equipped to take advantage of the opportunities emerging from the country’s economic growth.