GEORGETOWN, GUYANA – President Dr. Irfaan Ali says his government is finalising a comprehensive human capital strategy aimed at tackling Guyana’s ongoing labour shortages as the country experiences unprecedented economic growth.
Speaking on the British podcast The Rest Is Politics: Leading with Alastair Campbell on Friday, the President explained that while the rapid expansion of the economy is creating opportunities, the size of the workforce is not keeping pace. “Culturally from a work perspective, although I believe that our work culture is shifting because of the growth of the economy, which is good also, you know…we are now incentivising two jobs so that you get tax breaks on your second job. And that is because for the growth that is taking place, we don’t have the size of the labour force, the human resource capital is just too small to fuel this growth,” Dr. Ali said.
He noted that the government’s human capital strategy is closely tied to a wider migration strategy, with a strong focus on tapping into Guyana’s diaspora to help fill key gaps in the workforce. “That’s a big part of the strategy. So, we are now finalising that human capital strategy, which is linked to the migration strategy and the type of human capital that we need,” he added.
One sector already facing major pressure is healthcare. Dr. Ali pointed out that Guyana, like much of the world, is experiencing a shortage of nurses and other healthcare professionals as global recruitment drives pull workers away from developing countries. “The world is going through a crisis in healthcare. For example, nurses are moving around globally. In the UK, the UK is recruiting heavily. In the Caribbean, in Guyana, we’ve all suffered from that,” he explained.
With Guyana now investing in a modern healthcare system, the need for specialists, pharmacists, technologists, and doctors is becoming even more urgent. The President said while the country is building its training capacity, shortages remain in the medium term. “So, we’re now finalising this human capital strategy that will be used to structure the education system to deliver what we want now and for the future. But also, to examine the gap that exists,” he said.
