Dr. Paul Williams Slams Gov’t Over Youth Job Readiness, Rise of Foreign Workers in Guyana’s Booming Sectors
By HGP Nightly News
GUYANA — Former Deputy Police Commissioner Dr. Paul Williams has issued a scathing critique of the current administration, accusing it of failing to adequately prepare young Guyanese for employment in the rapidly evolving job market. Speaking at a rally in Bagotstown on the West Bank of Demerara over the weekend, Dr. Williams lamented what he described as a national failure to provide technical and vocational training opportunities to Guyana’s youth.
He said the void in skills development has left a vacuum now being filled by foreign workers, particularly in high-paying construction, engineering, and skilled trade roles linked to Guyana’s infrastructure boom.
“Locals are being sidelined while foreigners cash in on our development,” Williams stated, warning that unless urgent reforms are made, “foreign nationals will continue to reap the benefits of Guyana’s progress.”
Williams contrasted current conditions with the past, when programs like the Government Technical Institute (GTI) and school-leaving exams offered clear pathways to post-secondary education and technical careers. “Now, nothing like that is happening anymore,” he said.
Citing a 2023 UNODC report, Williams linked the lack of technical training to increased youth crime across Latin America and the Caribbean, including Guyana. The report identified youth unemployment and limited access to education as significant risk factors for criminal involvement.
“When young people are locked out of the labor market and have no viable path to economic independence, many resort to illegal means of survival,” Williams said. “Check the statistics — and those are the things they are hiding from us.”
While official police reports have touted reductions in serious crime, Williams pointed to a steady rise in petty crime and gang activity over the last decade, adding to the debate over whether government data accurately reflects conditions on the ground.
His remarks echo mounting public concern that Guyana’s development is outpacing the readiness of its domestic workforce, sparking calls for a national strategy to boost technical and vocational education (TVET).
Several educators, youth advocates, and private sector voices have since supported Williams’ message, emphasizing that sustainable growth depends not only on investment and infrastructure but also on empowering young Guyanese through practical, future-ready skills.
