The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) is continuing its participation in the National Skills Audit, with Chairperson of the Entrepreneurship and Small Business Committee, Mrs. Evie Kanhai-Gurchuran engaging in the review of the questionnaire that will be used.

On June 13, Mrs. Kanhai-Gurchuran joined a number of stakeholders including the Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Natural Resources, Board of Industrial Training, and the Canada-Guyana Chamber of Commerce at the Guyana Tourism Authority’s Conference Room where the questions on the data-gathering tool were scrutinised.

Mrs. Kanhai-Gurchuran highlighted the importance of studying the impact of culture on the labour force, particularly as it relates to women, and as such she recommended that the inquiries provide room for this area to be probed. It is anticipated that in five years, Guyana will need an additional 52,000 skilled workers; however, there exists a deficit. The National Skills Audit was commissioned by the Government of Guyana under the Strengthening Human Capital through Education Project and is being conducted by Dunn, Pierre Barnett, and Company Canada Limited (DPBA) with a view of providing baseline information for the upskilling of the local labour force.

In February, the GCCI met with DPBA and made initial contributions to the study as it relates to challenges facing the private sector with regard to human capital.