As Guyana’s aviation sector continues to grow rapidly, an estimated 1,500 workers will be needed to fill various vacancies within the next three years.
This includes some 300 staff to work at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) in various capacities.
This was highlighted by President Dr Irfaan Ali during the sod-turning ceremony for the second terminal at the CJIA, Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Monday.
“In a very conservative way, we’ll need at least 1,500 persons in the aviation sector in the next three years. And that’s very conservative…
“We have to be able to train hundreds of pilots here in Guyana in the immediate future…This is not only about Terminal 2. This is about setting up an aviation ecosystem that is global in scale,” President Ali said.
He further outlined the Government’s plan for developing aviation skills locally.
“Our objective is to have a first-class aviation school in Guyana, is to have a first-class training programme for aviation security in Guyana. That is part of the knowledge economy that we are building. So that we can train human capital in Guyana for the rest of the region. And we are not going halfway there. We are going to the full scale of investment that is required to take us there,” he added.
The head of state reflected on the progress of the sector in recent years and reiterated the vision for a people-focused and customer-oriented airport.
“You know, there is so much I can say about the sector in the last couple of years. But when we were discussing the future of this airport, there were a number of things that I said to the stakeholders. I want to repeat some of it. I said that this airport must be people-friendly and customer-oriented,” he emphasised.
On that note, Ali stated that part of the Government’s vision is to create a training facility to assist in the development of aviation skills for students.
Meanwhile, he highlighted existing staffing needs at CJIA.
“We now have vacancy among all of the operators at the airport (CJIA) for more than 300 persons. That is even without Terminal 2… similarly in Ogle…We need about 50 pilots in Guyana now as I speak to you at a minimum.”
“The world is changing, and if we are truly to position tourism at the centre of our transformation, then your terminal must tell the story,” he highlighted.
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