As Guyana’s oil and gas sector rapidly expands, so does the demand for a skilled local workforce. In response, the Government has launched a bold new Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Policy 2025–2035 to equip citizens with the training needed to thrive in a modern energy economy.
Developed by the Ministry of Education with support from the World Bank, the policy sets a 10-year roadmap to transform technical education across the country—focusing on quality, relevance, access, and employment outcomes.
Key Goals:
Its key goals include:
- Empowering citizens by ensuring fair and inclusive access to quality technical and vocational training, especially for women, youth, and vulnerable groups;
- Enhancing quality and relevance by modernizing infrastructure, introducing innovative teaching methods, and aligning training with market needs;
- Facilitating employment opportunities by creating pathways for TVET graduates to transition seamlessly into wage employment and self-employment;
- Increasing enrollment and equity by expanding access to training in both urban and hinterland communities while addressing gender disparities.
The policy zeroes in on high-demand skills such as engineering, welding, and data-driven roles. These reflect the oil and gas industry’s urgent need for qualified workers, a gap previously identified by the IMF. (Click here to read more)
The policy also promotes strong partnerships between government, training institutions (like GTI and the University of Guyana), and the private sector—including apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and continuous industry feedback.
An independent national TVET body will coordinate and regulate implementation. The government is also exploring sustainable financing models, including a proposed TVET levy and private sector investment.
“This is our guiding policy for TVET, not just in the Ministry of Education, but across the public and private sectors,” said Minister of Education Priya Manickchand.
A Labour Assessment Study executed by the Centre for Local Business Development in 2023 and funded by the Greater Guyana initiative said it is estimated that over five years, the education system will generate approximately 7,550 new university graduates and 16,375 TVET graduates in disciplines relevant to the five sectors. However, these graduates will need to be shared across the five focus economic sectors, and other sectors, including manufacturing, mining, and public utilities.
“This supply is insufficient for the five sectors in this study, where 47,051workers are needed from the semi-skilled to management levels,” the report stated. It added that the data shows that the education and training system will fall very short of what is needed and recommended major investments to scale up training and education along with guest worker policies and mechanization to bridge the shortfall.
