As stakeholders continue preparing young people for opportunities in Guyana’s new and emerging sectors, Chairperson of the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), Kathy Smith, has urged them to recognise that academic qualifications alone are not enough.

In fact, she emphasised the importance of equipping young people with critical problem-solving abilities, teamwork skills, and other workplace competencies needed to succeed in today’s evolving job market.

“Employers consistently say to me that qualifications alone are not enough when they’re hiring persons. Madam Chair mentioned to you that I’m a leader in the Private Sector. I chair one of the oldest Private Sector organisations in Guyana, and employers are saying this to me: that qualification alone is not what is needed,” Smith, who is also the President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), expressed last week while addressing participants of the National Youth Skills Forum hosted by the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning.