By: Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera
We’re excited to announce a groundbreaking program under the leadership of Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali where ministries across the country have partnered with Coursera to launch the Guyana-Coursera National Training Initiative. This innovative program offers every Guyanese citizen and public sector employee free education and skill training on Coursera. The program will be delivered through various ministries across the country, which will customize Coursera learning programs to each sector to diversify and transform the country’s economy and boost workforce productivity.
The initiative will enable Guyana to:
- Provide unprecedented access to high-quality education for citizens and civil servants
- Equip every citizen with the professional skills and credentials necessary to advance their career and unlock new employment opportunities
- Tackle skill gaps in the workforce to support economic growth
- Grow the country’s reputation among investors as a destination for top talent in an increasingly globalized economy
Several ministries are already making significant strides under this partnership:
- The Office of the Prime Minister has equipped hundreds of public servants with skills in digital media, communication, and journalism through Coursera.
- The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute collaborated with Coursera to launch The Women’s Investment and Innovation Network (WIIN) program, training over 4,000 women in entrepreneurship, digital, finance, and resilience skills.
- The Ministry of Health is using Coursera to take its Nursing School program online in an effort to increase the number of trained nurses in the country while enabling faculty to save time and update course content efficiently with Course Builder, Coursera’s AI-assisted content authoring tool.
- The Ministry of Tourism, Industry & Commerce (MINTIC) is working with Coursera to enhance the skills of tourism staff, managers, and tour operators in areas like digital marketing, communication, and data analytics for hospitality and travel. Additionally, it prepares entrepreneurs, business professionals, and regional chambers of commerce with digital literacy, problem-solving, adaptability, and resource management skills required to compete in a global market.
Through this initiative, every citizen and public sector employee will gain access to over 10,000 courses, credentials, and hands-on projects from leading universities and companies worldwide. It will also include over 50 Professional Certificates from industry leaders, designed to prepare people with no degree or prior work experience for various entry-level jobs and digital careers.
“It is okay to dream, but your dream can remain unrealized if the system does not support you in achieving it,” said the President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali. “Today in Guyana, every citizen can dream of a second chance, every citizen can dream of being educated because of the government’s policies.”
“The historic launch of the Guyana-Coursera Platform, utilizing the most cutting-edge technology, enables every Guyanese to access thousands of training courses online directly from their home,” said the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, 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 needed to take part in this incredible success story,” said the U.S. Ambassador to Guyana Nicole D. Theriot. “Education has always been the cornerstone of progress and development in any society and is the key that unlocks doors to opportunity and empowers people to pursue their dreams.”
To learn more about Coursera for Government, visit coursera.org/government
