HGP Nightly News – Thousands of jobs are waiting. Thousands more have already been filled. And the Labour Ministry wants every Guyanese looking for work to know: the job bank is open. Labour Minister Keoma Griffith made the pitch during an appearance on the Starting Point podcast, detailing how the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency has connected nearly 3,000 individuals with employment over the past five years, with more than 16,000 additional positions still available.
The system, Griffith explained, operates much like a financial bank, but instead of deposits and withdrawals, it handles job seekers and employers. “Employers are able to come and register jobs. They come and say, ‘We have a hundred vacancies, and this is what we’re looking for.’ Employees can come to the bank and say, ‘These are my qualifications, and I’m looking for a job. This is what I can offer,'” he said.
The agency screens applicants and matches them with suitable positions. Of the 2,960 individuals placed so far, approximately 1,837 remain actively employed. Griffith acknowledged the persistent concerns about skilled labour shortages, particularly amid Guyana’s construction boom. Contractors have been vocal about difficulty finding workers, a problem the minister says his ministry has been tackling directly.
“Since I’ve become Minister, simple individuals who have been in construction [say], ‘Oh, Minister, I really want some workers.’ I said, ‘Okay, no problem. Come into the Ministry,'” he recalled. “And we’ve been able to supply them with workers.”
The job bank has supplied workers to shipping companies, small businesses needing cashiers, and even the massive Gas-to-Energy Project at Wales, where a job fair last December connected approximately 1,000 workers to one of Guyana’s premier development initiatives.
Griffith stressed that no opportunity is too small or too large. “All work is honest work. There is no need to discriminate against what kind of job it is,” he said. “The possibilities are endless. You can have a job as a cashier, or it goes all the way up to working on one of Guyana’s premier development projects.”
But the system only works if people use it. The minister is urging both job seekers and businesses to register.
“There is a little more awareness that can be done of the job bank, which is something that we intend to continue to do,” Griffith said. “But I also want to take this opportunity to call on the private sector to support the job bank. Let us know when you have opportunities available so that we can match skilled and competent individuals to your employment.”
Individuals or companies interested can contact the Labour Ministry or visit its website at www.jobsgy.com
