The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, in collaboration with the Guyana Tourism Authority, yesterday announced the official launch of the Coursera Tourism, Entrepreneurship, and Competitiveness Training Platform.
The Department of Public Information (DPI) said that the platform offers a curated selection of courses to address critical developmental areas in the tourism, hospitality, and business sectors. It aims to strengthen the skills and expertise of professionals by providing access to a range of specialised sessions focusing on enhancing service delivery and nurturing industry growth.
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, stated that the training programme is part of the National Training Initiative being facilitated by the Government of Guyana. She noted that the initiative seeks to give all Guyanese access to in-demand training and to build capacity among citizens.
“This training programme offers Guyanese from all walks of life an invaluable opportunity to enhance their skills in the tourism and business sectors. By participating in this training, individuals can improve their competencies, adapt to the changing demands of the business environment and workforce, and elevate their professional capabilities,” she said.
Walrond added that the government is fostering a culture of continuous learning and development.
Speaking in relation to the tourism-specific courses on the platform, Kamrul Baksh, the Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, noted that it underscores the GTA’s commitment to advancing the tourism sector. “These courses are designed to empower our workforce with the skills needed to deliver exceptional service and contribute effectively to the expansion of tourism in Guyana,” the Director said.
Baksh further emphasised that “We want to encourage all stakeholders within the tourism sector, including individuals and businesses, to take advantage of this valuable opportunity to build their capacity and improve the quality of service provided.”
The platform features courses covering essential topics including but not limited to Sustainable Tourism, Promoting Environmental Public Health offered by the University of Copenhagen, and Sus-tainable Transportation Networks & Streetscapes and Transportation, Sustain-able Buildings, & Green Construction offered by Johns Hopkins University.
Registration for the Guyana Coursera Training Platform has begun. Interested persons can explore course offerings at https://bit.ly/3WQzwon (tourism courses) or https://bit.ly/4dvsxGX (business and competitive courses).
In 2021, the government had announc-ed imminent plans for 6,000 Guyanese to be trained in the Barbadian tourism industry. It is unclear what became of that proposal.
