The Ministry of Labour has launched a skills app – SkillsConnect – which is designed to bridge the gap in the Labour Market by connecting skilled, semi-skilled and even unskilled workers directly with companies.

The app was launched at the Ministry of Labour Brickdam Office this morning by the Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton and the Chief Labour Officer, Dhaneshwar Deonarine.

Minister Hamilton said SkillsConnect will help Guyanese locate jobs in Manufacturing, Construction, and Mining Industries regardless of their location.

“One of the things I think the skills connect will allow for is bridging the skills gap internally, and what I mean by that is that you have a situation where whilst a lot of activities are happening in Regions Four and Five on the coast, many of the skills that they need might be in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine. And so, you might find a company looking for heavy duty equipment operator, and you have several persons in hinterland regions, who have that skill, it would allow for that person to say, this is me, I exist,” Minister Hamilton said.

The Chief Labour Officer explained that SkillsConnect does not replace the Online Job Bank, which was launched by the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency in March 2022, but rather it complements the job bank.

The Online Job Bank, he explained, serves as a critical resource, connecting job seekers with available employment opportunities and provides employers access to a pool of qualified candidates, while SkillsConnect targets blue collar workers, some of whom maybe unskilled.

“It is important for us to note that this application is not a replacement to our online job bank but rather it is designed to complement our online job bank. The goal of this application, skills connect, is to create an accessible platform where workers can connect, collaborate, built trusted relationships regardless of their location. It is designed for blue collar workers, whether unskilled, semi-skilled or skilled to easily access job opportunities and market their skills,” Deonarine explained.

The Chief Labour Officer said with the use of technology, the Labour Ministry has been providing and delivering better services.

He said its commitment to innovation has led to the adoption of a computerized management information system to improve labour dispute resolution as well as to strengthen policy and decision making.

He said the adoption of these technologies and mobile applications are aligned with government’s efforts to improve its efficiency, while responding to the needs of Guyanese.

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