Development Challenge

Guyana faces a significant skills gap as demand rises in fast-growing sectors such as the agro-industry and oil and gas. The shortage of qualified workers reflects limited access to quality secondary education, compounded by low enrollment and completion rates, regional disparities, and uneven learning outcomes. To fully realize its human capital potential, Guyana needs stronger outcomes in secondary education and TVET, alongside better alignment with evolving private sector needs.

WBG Approach

The World Bank's approach focused on strengthening education quality and pathways to employment, helping young people transition from classrooms to meaningful careers in the country's fast-growing economy.

In addition to investments in secondary schools' infrastructure, the Project prioritized teaching and retention by expanding tools for providing feedback for teachers, shifting development toward student-centered instruction, and introducing an Early Warning System for at-risk students.

The project moved beyond incremental reforms by supporting TVET transformation, using employer and graduate tracking data to align training with priority industries and skills needs in strategic sectors like climate-smart agriculture and digital technology. It expanded work-based learning opportunities including certifications and internships. The initiative supported access to information through a digital platform consolidating learning opportunities for youth and employers.

Partnerships with UNICEF and the Inter-American Development Bank enhance impact through co-financed interventions and enhance sector planning, data systems, ensuring coordinated and efficient investments across the sector.

Result

As of December 2025:

• Over 1,060 teachers trained across secondary and post-secondary levels, including 815 secondary teachers across 21 schools receiving targeted coaching to strengthen instructional quality and improve student learning outcomes.
• 93 percent of secondary students now have access to English, Math, and Science textbooks, improving learning conditions and reducing resource inequities across schools.
• 643 students (344 girls, 53 percent) enrolled in enhanced general secondary schools, benefiting from improved infrastructure and learning environments, progressing toward the target of 4,000 beneficiaries.
• Grade 9 survival rate increased from 0.90 to 0.96, surpassing the target of 0.93 and indicating stronger student retention at the lower-secondary level.
• Early Warning System development initiated to identify and support at-risk students, with expected strengthening of dropout prevention mechanisms.
• National TVET Policy launched alongside a dedicated TVET Management Information System to support data-driven governance and alignment with labor market needs and strengthen skills-employment linkages.

Contribution to WBG Targets and Jobs

HCP contributes to WBG goals in Gender and Jobs. With 53 percent of beneficiaries being female, it aligns with the Gender Strategy 2024-30‘sgoal to build resilient human capital outcomes for women. The project strengthens Guyana's skills development pipeline in oil and gas, digital technology, and green industries through labor-market aligned higher education reforms. To date, 630 post-secondary students completed attachments, supporting school-to-work transitions. Stronger linkages with employers are expected to translate into more and better jobs.

The Bank provided a loan of $147 million to finance investments in water, wastewater and solid waste facilities, and GEF provided a grant of $5 million to demonstrate septic management techniques to help reduce land-based pollution reaching the Bohai Sea.

Partners

The World Bank worked closely with the Shandong Provincial Government during project implementation. The latter’s commitment and support was the key to the project’s success. In addition to financing 49.5% of the total project costs, the government maintained a strong environmental management agenda, provided high quality project management and coordination of implementation in project cities and counties, and set guidelines for minimum wastewater and solid waste tariffs to be adopted by municipal governments. It continued to give priority to industrial pollution control, enhanced its capacity for online monitoring of industries, and promoted water conservation through regulatory measures to limit use of groundwater and re-use of treated wastewater.

Lessons Learned

Two key lessons emerged. First, investments in foundational policies, systems, and data should precede large-scale expansion of service delivery. Strengthening these enabling conditions helped improve the quality, equity, and effectiveness of education services, ensuring that increased access translated into better learning and skills outcomes, including for underserved and at-risk students.

Second, adaptive implementation strengthened project performance. Systematic feedback from teachers, students, and employers informed timely adjustments throughout implementation, improving relevance, supporting achievement of intended outcomes, strengthening alignment with labor market needs, and building institutional capacity for sustained reform.

Next Steps

The World Bank will continue supporting Guyana's education transformation, scaling what works and strengthening system sustainability. Expected results include expanded enrollment and completion in industry-aligned TVET programs. The foundation is in place through a modernized policy framework, stronger institutions and a growing pipeline of skills-ready graduates. Key priorities include expanding digital tools for teachers, completing enhanced secondary school construction, and reaching 3,600 youth through new TVET programs aligned with Guyana's fastest-growing sectors. A national TVET Policy running through 2035 ensures reforms will outlast the project, with the government committed to absorbing recurrent costs into the national budget.