Dear Editor,
One key feature of development in any country is the calibre of its human resources. In order for a country to develop, it needs abundant human resources that are highly skilled, well educated, disciplined and trained. A country that does not adequately utilise its human resources is likely to find itself squandering precious financial resources and time, and will be forced to deal with incompetence because of the appointment of unsuitable personnel.
Guyana still has an education system that functions. Those children who attend school benefit from an education that forms part of their academic foundation needed to get through life. We cannot however discount the fact that in 21st century Guyana, many students supplement much of their school curriculum learning with very large doses of extra lessons.
Many of these students make it to the University of Guyana and complete their degrees in areas of their choice and are faced with the daunting prospects of early unemployment. Guyana then unwittingly exports its human resources to other countries that make haste in utilising them. Guyana needs a government that can not only strategize tangible job creation initiatives, but implement policies that will utilise many of the human resources available in Guyana and bring an end to the rapid brain drain that currently occurs.
Failure to engage constructively in job creation especially for young Guyanese will only encourage them to fly off to the Caribbean islands and further afield, where they reap lucrative rewards for their work.
The issue of young educated people migrating to other jurisdictions because of the lack of employment opportunities in Guyana is just one side of the Guyanese coin. If one examines the other side of that coin, it would be seen that at age 55 able-bodied, highly qualified, mentally agile men and women from the public service are asked to retire!
These folks are asked to leave jobs at the height of their careers and walk into the uncertain mist of unemployment. Luckily, these same persons are absorbed by many private entities at home and abroad and they continue to work and contribute meaningfully.
If a situation continues to exist in Guyana where young people under 25 armed with degrees find it extremely difficult to find jobs, and the mature adult in their mid-fifties are also forced back into the job market, the brain drain will continue unhindered.
These issues need to be very high on the agenda of the new government. In order to develop Guyana does not need Santa Claus to bring laptops and place them in the homes of every Guyanese. It needs the strengthening of the education system with the recruitment and retention of qualified trained teachers; it needs industries and businesses to absorb the qualified young people who are forced to flee to lucrative employment opportunities overseas. The retirement age needs to be extended so as to adequately utilise the industrial knowledge and expertise of senior personnel working in the public service.
There needs to be new policy direction in the area of human development. People are the real wealth of any country.
A country not concerned with the retention of its highly qualified and trained human resources is giving away its true wealth. Guyana must foster an environment in which all Guyanese can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accordance with their needs and interest.
Yours faithfully,
Richard Francois
