By Kurt Campbell
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Labour Minister Dr. Nanda Gopaul recently admitted that his Ministry is unable to determine the level of unemployment across Guyana presently.
He said nonetheless efforts are afoot to ensure that the level of unemployment is accounted for soon. Dr. Gopaul explained that work is ongoing with the Statistical Unit in that regard.
He said the statistics from the recently concluded census will also play a big role in helping to make the determination.
The Opposition Political parties have long argued that the unemployment level is high locally and urged to government to provide more employment opportunities coupled with social services.
Meanwhile, according to the Labour Minister, the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency was able to find jobs for over 2,500 persons in 2013.
From a total of 2,954 persons who registered with the Agency, some 2,548 were placed in jobs.
The categories of workers placed included Clerical and office support: Supervisors, Typist Clerks, and Customer Service Reps., Receptionists, Craft and related workers: Welders, Drivers, Fitter Machinist, Mechanics, Machine Operators, Skilled, Semi-Skilled and unclassified: Factory workers, Cleaners Sales Clerks, Labourers, Security Officers Bag Bay attendant, Porters, Counter clerks, masons, carpenters among others.
The Labour Minister also pointed to the issue of underemployment of hundreds of graduates from the University of Guyana.
He said the problem exist in the fact that there is no proper streamlining at the institution, an area in which the Government has offered considerable assistance.
He said persons should be encouraged to do programs such as Information Technology, Mathematics and Natural Sciences where jobs are available and move away from programs in the Social Sciences for which there is currently more human resource than jobs available.
He said also that the number of these graduates registering with the Agency is very low and encourage them to make use of the body.
