
Guyana issued almost 14,000 work permits to more than 20 companies last year as the country continues to grapple with a labour shortage as the oil and construction industries grow, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has reported.
The figure for 2024 has more than tripled the number work permits issued in 2023 when only 4,795 permits were issued. In 2022, a total of 3,192 were issued.
The Home Affairs Minister explained that the 13,713 work permits issued in 2024 were related to 25 companies in various sectors that reportedly brought in skilled workers to fill the gaps needed for various projects in Guyana.
“One of the issues and challenges we have is that there is a great demand for skills in the newly developed areas, not only the oil and gas offshore development but also the developments which are occurring on land and associated developments like construction and all of those things,” the Minister noted.
The Minister explained that the manpower needed in the country in various sector is way beyond the capacity that is available here.
In some cases, he said companies required hundreds of workers to fill some crucial roles but cannot find the skillset here to fill those positions. He did not offer details on the skilled jobs that are available.
“We have to bring in labour and professional skills to get the job done. So, when people are talking about the science and engineering and science and technological and vocational skills that is required f0r these developments, we don’t have them,” Minister Benn, noted.
The local private sector has been complaining that due to increase in business, there is a massive skill and labour shortage in Guyana that hinders the growth of industries and limits the country’s overall economic potential.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has also been raising the issue and the need to import skilled labour. The Labour Ministry has announced plans to offer more training in a number of critical areas to fill the available gaps in various sectors.
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