ILO-IOM assessment of construction capacities in Guyana to support in booming infrastructure sector

 
Guyana
12 January, 2023

The International Labour Oganization officially presented to the Ministry of Labour and Government of Guyana the report entitled Prospective occupation and skills needs in the Guyanese construction industry, 2022-2026. The report on the construction sector was supported by the International Organization for Migration’ Western Hemisphere Program, through funding from the United States Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. It builds upon previous interventions under the Program, such as the 2020 report Planning for Prosperity: Labour Migration and Guyana’s Emerging Economy. The ceremonial presentation followed an earlier intervention whereby stakeholders from the private sector, and Ministry of Labour and government were presented the preliminary findings of this report, and its counterpart - Prospective occupation and skills needs in the Guyanese oil and gas industry, 2022-2026.  

 

Among the 22 attendees were ILO Director for the Caribbean, Dennis Zulu; IOM Guyana Head of Office, Eraina Yaw; United Nations Guyana Resident Coordinator, Yeşim Oruç; and the Honourable Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton. In his remarks, Hamilton congratulated the UN agencies for their collaboration and output in supporting the Ministry in the enhancement of its capacity to understand and respond to recent labour migration needs as the country develops its oil and gas sector. Moreover, Resident Coordinator, Oruç, emphasised that such collaboration serves as a vital example of how the UN and its host governments can work together to achieve common sustainable development goals.  

 

Furthermore, Yaw explained that interventions such as the construction report are part of larger initiatives that aim to support the government in labour migration governance. According to the IOM official, partnership with public stakeholders and other UN agencies builds the capacity of government “as it endeavours to manage the economic growth, labour demand, and recruitment of labour from abroad.” 

 

Employment and Labour Market Policies Specialist and report co-author, Diego Rei, shared some key findings from the construction report. He noted this study stemmed from the potential opportunities arising from Guyana’s booming economy for nationals and migrant workers and aims to address a specific information gap concerning skills needs in the construction industry. The study combined a background analysis of the local contexts, and international human resources trends accompanied by the collection of original data from companies operating within Guyana. Speaking on behalf of the Private Sector Commission, Mr. Jairam Petram expressed interest in furthering work with ILO and IOM to build upon the report’s findings and make the best use of the data.

 

Read the report here