Guyana poised for another transformative moment – Granger

-says employment for all youth is possible

President David Granger
President David Granger

President David Granger says that the country is poised for another transformative moment and that employment for all youth is possible.

In an address on the occasion of the country’s 53rd Anniversary of Independence, the President said that Independence was a transformative event that brought “forward-looking changes” which improved the living and working conditions for all Guyanese, including our youth as it laid the foundation for a better life for future generations.

“Guyana, today, is poised for another transformative moment. The commencement of petroleum production, next year, and the transition towards becoming a ‘green’ state, will increase economic growth and provide greater resources for development”, the President declared.

He reiterated that the future belongs to young people and they “…can be assured of greater opportunities as a result of oil production and the policies of the Guyana Green State Development Strategy.” The nation’s resources will be used to safeguard the future of the nation’s children and their children.

Granger said that young people have started to play a pivotal role in driving development and that the government is preparing them to assume responsibility for the nation’s future.

He declared that the four pillars of the government’s national youth development policy are education, equality, empowerment and employment.

The president expanded on these pillars by stating that education is the bedrock of the youth development policy and young people have to be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to become productive citizens. No child in school must be left behind. He stated, “An ‘education nation is being established.”

Equality, he observed, is “…integral for youth development,” and government is in the process of creating a fairer, friendlier framework for ensuring greater equality by providing improved access to all public services. Young people in the hinterland can look forward, one day, to having access to the same public services as those on our coastland, he said.

Granger sees employment as possible for all and mentioned the Guyana Youth Corps which is tasked with retraining the youth to improve their ‘marketability’ and to make the transition between school and the workforce an easier one. He noted that “…government is also committed to reducing the numbers of young people who are not in education, employment or in training (NEET). The Sustainable Livelihoods and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED); the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS); and the Youth Innovation Project of Guyana (YIPoG) initiatives being other examples of how government is helping to promote self-employment for young people.”

The President added, “The future belongs to young people. This axiom is true today as it was 53 years ago when Guyana attained its Independence.  The central aspiration of the independence generation was to secure a better future for their children and grandchildren. Young people, today, can look to a bright future with greater confidence, enthusiasm and hope knowing that their government is laying a stronger foundation for the good life for them and their children.”