By: Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera
We are excited to announce a groundbreaking program under the leadership of Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali, where ministries across the country partnered with Coursera to launch Guyana-Coursera National Training Initiative. This innovative program offers every Guyanese citizen and public sector employee free education and skills training on Coursera. The program will be implemented through various ministries across the country, which will tailor Coursera learning programs to each sector to diversify and transform the country’s economy and increase workforce productivity.
The initiative will enable Guyana to:
- Give citizens and civil servants unprecedented access to high-quality education
- Equip every citizen with the professional skills and credentials needed to advance their careers and unlock new employment opportunities
- Address workforce skills gaps to support economic growth
- Increase the country’s reputation among investors as a destination for top talent in an increasingly globalized economy
Several ministries are already taking significant steps within this partnership:
- The Prime Minister’s Office has equipped hundreds of public servants with digital media, communication and journalism skills through Coursera.
- The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute partnered with Coursera to launch the Women’s Investment and Innovation Network (WIIN) program, training more than 4,000 women in entrepreneurship, digital, financial and resilience skills.
- The Department of Health is using Coursera to bring its School of Nursing program online in an effort to increase the number of trained nurses in the country, while allowing faculty to save time and efficiently update course content using Course Builder, Coursera’s AI-powered content creation tool.
- The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Trade (MINTIC) is working with Coursera to improve the skills of tourism staff, managers and tour operators in areas such as digital marketing, communication and data analytics for hospitality and travel. In addition, it prepares entrepreneurs, business professionals and regional chambers of commerce with the digital literacy, problem solving, adaptability and resource management skills needed to compete in the global marketplace.
Through this initiative, every citizen and public sector employee will gain access to more than 10,000 courses, credentials and practical projects from leading universities and companies around the world. It will also include more than 50 professional certifications from industry leaders, designed to prepare people without a degree or previous work experience for a variety of entry-level jobs and digital careers.
“It’s okay to dream, but your dream can remain unrealized if the system does not support you in achieving it,” he said the President of Guyana, Irfan Ali. “Today in Guyana every citizen can dream of a second chance, every citizen can dream of education because of government policy.”
“The historic launch of Guyana-Coursera’s platform, which uses state-of-the-art technology, enables every Guyanese to access thousands of courses online right from their home,” he said. Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance and Public Services, Dr. Ashni K. Singh.
“Guyana is transforming right before our eyes, and in order to sustain this trajectory of growth and development while ensuring inclusion, it is critical that every Guyanese citizen is equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in this incredible success story,” he said. US Ambassador to Guyana Nicole D. Theriot. “Education has always been the cornerstone of progress and development in any society and is the key that opens doors of opportunity and empowers people to follow their dreams.”
To learn more about Coursera for Government, visit coursera.org/government