President of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), Rafeek Khan urged companies to hire more young people, noting that doing so will help address labour shortages while providing gainful opportunities to the nation’s youth. “Whether you are in university, you are welcome to start working and have part-time jobs with companies and businesses,” Khan emphasised. According to Khan, young people account for approximately six to seven per cent of employment in some areas. The manufacturing sector, meanwhile, is seeing increasing participation from women. The President highlighted that women are becoming a major contributor to the sector’s growth, with many GMSA companies now employing between 30 and 40 per cent women in manufacturing roles.