By: Tiana Cole | HGPTV Nightly News
The Government of Guyana has officially launched a national upskilling platform in partnership with Coursera, a global online learning provider, aimed at transforming the public sector by equipping public servants with world-class training and professional development opportunities.
The initiative, launched on Monday, represents a major step toward modernizing and strengthening the country’s public service, ensuring that employees across all sectors can access cutting-edge knowledge and skills to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.
Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency, and Implementation Zulfikar Ali underscored the importance of adaptability and innovation within the public service, emphasizing that modernization is essential for effective governance.
“The culture of public service and indeed public servants must change. We must be nimble, ready to adapt to the latest trends, and capitalize on new technologies—not only to serve the people of Guyana in a dignified and respectable manner but also to make our own jobs easier,” Minister Ali stated.
He further emphasized that the partnership with Coursera is a tangible demonstration of the government’s commitment to human capital development, as it provides opportunities for public servants to master critical skills relevant to today’s global workforce.
“We need new skills across the board. With this platform, you can master key critical skills to become more effective in your daily work,” he added.
Delivering the feature address, President Dr. Irfaan Ali reaffirmed that his administration is focused on building a modern, efficient, and globally competitive public service.
“We are building the human capital that will ignite the future of Guyana,” the President declared.
He noted that the Coursera platform will prepare public servants not only for local responsibilities but also for global opportunities, while advancing fairness, reliability, and customer satisfaction within the system.
“This new-age Coursera platform will help us advance, remove biases in the system, improve customer satisfaction, enhance reliability, and promote equity,” President Ali said.
The program will give every public servant access to over 100 curated courses spanning areas such as:
- Customer Service
- Project Management
- Technical Writing
- Managerial Training
- Data Analysis
- Website Development
- Microsoft Excel (Beginner to Advanced)
- Beginner Spanish
The government views this partnership as a foundation for a 21st-century public service, capable of driving national development and innovation while improving efficiency and service delivery across all ministries.
