Caribbean Examination

Council
Caribbean Studies Internal
Assessment

Name of candidate: Steve Rodrigues

Candidate Number: 09000700____

School: St. Roses High

School code: 09000700

Territory: Guyana

Year of examination: 2016

Teacher: Miss Blackett

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements............................................................................................................1
Topic...................................................................................................................................2
Sub topic:........................................................................................................................2
Problem statement:........................................................................................................2
Title.................................................................................................................................2
Introduction........................................................................................................................3
Literature review................................................................................................................4
Data collection sources......................................................................................................6
Presentation of data...........................................................................................................7
Analysis of data................................................................................................................12
Discussion of findings......................................................................................................13
Conclusion........................................................................................................................15
Recommendations............................................................................................................15
Bibliography.....................................................................................................................16
Appendix..........................................................................................................................17

1
Acknowledgements

I would firstly like to thank Miss Blackett, the Caribbean studies teacher of St. Roses High for
her advice and step by step guidance in the completion of this School Based Assessment, I would
also like to give my sincere gratitude to all the respondents who have participated in the
answering of the questionnaires and in providing the necessary information to this study.

1
Topic: Migration
Sub topic: Causes and consequences of migration

Problem statement: A case study of the factors responsible for an increased migration of
university graduates in Guyana.

Title: Causes for the increase in migration of university graduates

2
Introduction
The Caribbean is long known for its continuous history of migration from the region. This is
related by statistics released by the World Bank which stated that between 1989 and 2001 over
1.4 million Caribbean nationals migrated legally to the United States alone. This increase in
migration leads to a serious phenomenon known as brain drain and other economic and social
problems. Guyana suffers tremendously from this issue every year which was pointed out by the
Minister of Education in Guyana, who posits that 89% of its university graduates leave this shore
yearly as cited by a world bank report made in 2009.

The title of this study is A case study of the factors responsible for an increase in migration of
university graduates from Guyana. Some of the research questions to be answered are: Why do
graduates prefer to migrate after finishing university? Are they aware of the consequences that
county may face with the loss of its valuable human resources? and Is the government is doing
enough to help curb the whole migration crisis?

The results of this study would be benefit to many organizations such as the International
Organization for Migration (Guyana office) and also to the people of Guyana who should be
more informed on the current situation of migration of our skilled professionals from this
country. The University of Guyana could use the results to make effective recommendations and
help spread awareness to students on campus to potentially help curb the situation, finally, the
government of Guyana can use the results collected to stem the flow of migration by
implementing policies that would be of benefit to the professionals.

Definition of key terms:

Brain drain: the emigration of highly skilled and well educated individuals from a country.

Emigration: is the act of leaving ones resident country with intent to settle elsewhere

Push factor: a negative aspect or condition that motivates one to leave ones country,
organization or region

Pull factor: an economic, social, political or environmental condition that entices people to
immigrate or move towards a new location

Skilled professional: any worker who has a special skill, training or knowledge, a skilled worker
may have attended a collage, university or technical school.

Migrant: a person who moves from one place to another to find work or better living conditions

Migration: is the human movement of people from one place in the world to another for the
purpose of taking up permanent or semi-permanent residence, usually across political boundaries

3
Literature review

The topic on the increase rate at which Guyanese graduates migrate has been brought up into
focus by many researchers, journalists and the concern populace. According to, The Youth
Development and Empowerment Report Guyana (2012) 83% of graduates from the university of
Guyana migrate from Guyana after graduation and 45% below the age of 35 would prefer to live
outside of Guyana. Migration has resulted in a lack of qualified or experienced youths in the
population to take up positions of leadership in all sectors.

Dr.Roopnarine, Lomarsh (2013) Guyana Population Movement and Societal development,

University of Guyana stated in an article that there is a myriad of reasons for Guyanese extra-
regional migration. The most obvious emanated from push/pull factors so commonly operative
between developing and developed countries. Political and economic instability, crime and
overall deteriorating living conditions have pushed Guyanese to move while favorable changing
immigration laws, job opportunities and better living conditions have pulled them to better
destinations in developed countries.

The United Nations World Youth Report (2013) The Impact of Youth Migration posits that
migration is a common feature of the Caribbean society and is a significant factor in the
development of the Caribbean but Research has proven the one of the most serious adverse
effects of migration is human capital flight better known as brain drain, which deprives countries
of origin of the economic and social contributions of their best educated and most highly skilled
citizens.

The micro econometric study of emigration from developing countries (Van Dalen et al. 2005)
shows that the enormous differences in income are a major stimulus for moving to developed
countries, Milanovic Branko, The Economic Causes of Migration (2013) with an article stating
the large gaps in mean incomes and wages are obviously a magnet for migration further
supporting the Van Dalen et al publication (2005).

Skilled Labour migration from developing countries: Study on the Caribbean Region(July, 2002)
authored by Professor Elizabeth Thomas-Hope stated that the problem lies in that the demand of
skilled professionals from developed countries are largely met by developing countries triggering
an exodus of their skilled personnel she went on blaming the availability of more jobs in
developed countries which developing countries lack and seek, adding to Elizabeth Thomas-
Hope publication came from the Caribbean Current in an article on Jamaicans and the brain
drain(2015) stating that the incapability to provide jobs for tertiary-level graduates is one of the
biggest contributing factors in the brain drain phenomena to date. If a developing country is
unable to provide proper jobs for the new working class, then people migrate.

4
 And its due to this migration, Countries such as Guyana have large portions of their population
living outside the country and the region, thereby depriving the country of the talents and skills

for further development per ( CAPE Caribbean Studies authored by Jeanette Ottlley,
Marolyn Gentles and Veta Dawson (2013).

5
Data collection sources

In investigating the potential causes for the increase migration of university graduates from
Guyana, two main sources were explored those were primary and secondary sources
respectively, the information integral to the title of the study being investigated were gathered at
first had from 30 graduates from the University of Guyana and has been classified as a primary
source, the instrument used to gather this data was the questionnaire, which was filled with
questions based on the said issue. Using the questionnaire as the instrument of data collection,
had many advantages such as its time friendliness, since its format and overall instructions are
simple to understand, it also offers anonymity to the respondents, allowing them to give more
truthful responses that they may have been sensitive to them if they were in a face to face
interview with the researcher. This instrument also had some disadvantages such as, some
questions may be skipped and ignored and since the questions and responses are standardized
there is no room for the addition of any sort of information that may have been useful to the
research. Other secondary sources were also used such as articles from Dr.Lomarsh Roopnarine,
Professor Elizabeth Thomas-Hope and Van Dalen et al along with a report done by the Youth
Development and Empowerment report Guyana. The process that involved the distribution of
questionnaires took place over a period of 2 weeks, the questionnaire used (found in the
appendix) was administered to the graduates during different time periods of the weeks when
available and were asked to respond truthfully and to the best of their knowledge.

6
Presentation of data

The main findings of this research were that majority of respondents indicated that there is an
increase in the migration of university graduates from Guyana and it has the presence of some
push and pull factors to be held responsible for this.

Figure 1 showing the percentage of respondents that responded to if they think that there is an
increase in migration of University graduates from Guyana.

Figure 1

Unsure
Unsure; 7%

No No; 10%

Yes Yes; 83%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Column1

The bar graph above shows that 83% of the respondents taught that indeed there is an increase
migration of university graduates from Guyana while 10% of the sample size taught that
university graduates were not leaving. There was an unsure 7% of respondents that were not
aware of any migration of university graduates.

7
Figure 2 showing the percentage of responses on the factors that contributes to the increase
migration of graduates from the University of Guyana.

Figure 2
Lack of proper
45% jobs suiting their qualifications

40%

Pull factors
35%form other countries

30%

Political instability
25%
Percentage of responses
20%

High cost of living

15%

10%

Lack of proper infrastructure and facilities to work in

5%

0%

The graph above shows that majority of the graduates (40%) indicated that due to the lack of
jobs suiting their qualifications, have led to an increase in graduate migration, 30% taught that its
due to pull factors, while 20% blames the high cost of living, 7% of the graduates responded that
the lack of proper infrastructure and facilities is accountable, whilst just 3% of the total sample
body had political instability to be held accountable for the increase in graduate migration.

8
Table 1 showing the tabulated results collected from the response to the question, In what ways
do you think the country is affected when university graduates migrate.

Responses Percentage of responses

Loss of valuable human resources 50%
Drop of standards at public 27%
facilities/institutions from the lack of
professionals
Can result to a fall of GDP 7%
Increase in imported labor 3%
The employment of lesser qualified persons to 13%
fill positions that require higher qualifications

From the data collected, 50% of the total respondents indicated that the loss of valuable human
resources is the main effect of university graduate migration, 27% point out that the standards of
public facilities will drop, 7% specify the it can result to a fall of GDP, while just 3% taught there
will be an increase in imported labor and 13% indicated that it will led to the employment of
lesser qualified persons to fill higher positions.

9
Figure 3 showing a graphical representation of the number of respondents that specifically
indicated which pull factors they think that encourage university graduates to migrate to other
countries.

Figure 3
45%

40%

35%

30%

25%
No. of respondents
20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

Figure 3 shows that 40% of the total respondents indicated that the availability of jobs is the
leading pull factor for university graduates migrating, while 30% indicated that its because of
better living conditions, 7% of the individuals taught it was for better medical care, 3% assumed
it is because of enforced security, then 20% indicated that it was due to better educational
opportunities, no respondent indicated that the presence of political freedom in other countries
posed as a pull factor for university migrates.

10
Figure 4 showing the different percentage of respondents that shared their view on measures if
put into place, would be more effective in reducing the increase migration of university
graduates.

Figure 4

Close the free movement of skilled and qualified professionals among CARICOM

7% 7%
Increase job wages

40%
Provide more jobs with better opportunities 46%

Develop infrastructure to enhance working conditions

According to the results depicted by the pie chart above, majority(46%) of the respondents
suggest that increasing job wages would be more effective in reducing the increase rate of
university graduates migration from Guyana, while 40% suggests that more jobs with better
opportunities should be provided, 7% indicated for the development of infrastructure to enhance
working conditions and finally just another 7% suggested the closing of the free movement of
skilled and qualified professionals among CARICOM.

11
Analysis of data

With all the data collected from the main source of data collection (the use of questionnaires) it
was noticed that from the 30 respondents not all of the graduates were aware of the current
increase in migration of university graduates, this was evident from figure 1, which showed that
83% of the respondents were aware of an increase in migration of university graduates but 7%
were unaware of the dilemma while 10% had no idea of any increase which the researcher finds
disturbing because this is a very important matter which not much address is given to,
surprisingly 97% of the respondents actually agree on this matter by responding to a question
given in the questionnaire which asks Do you think the government is doing enough to ease the
migration of university graduates many of them answering No. Even though 17% of the
respondents were unaware of the increased migration of university graduates they had some
knowledge of what can cause or led to them migrating.

Figure 2 depicts the percentage value of the responses from each specific question on the causes
that contribute to the increase in migration of university graduates from Guyana, a whopping
40% of the respondents blames the lack of proper jobs suiting their qualifications for this, while
30% of the respondents from the total sample population point out that pull factors from other
countries results in graduates wanting to migrate, 20% indicated that its due to the high cost of
living, 7% chose the lack of proper infrastructure and facilities to work in as their leading cause
while just 3% taught it was a result of political instability.

In table 1 which tabulated the results on the effects of the increase migration of university
graduates, the most dominant response showed 50% of the sample population indicating that
there will be a loss of valuable human resources, while with a decreasing trend, 27% chose on
the drop of standards at public facilities , 7% on the fall of GDP while just 3% sided with the
increase of imported labour, and with a slight increase, 13% indicated that there will be an
increase in lesser qualified persons filling positions that require higher qualifications.

Figure 3 showed the responses specifically to some pull factors present that may had led to
university graduates migrating, firstly the availability of jobs present in other countries have
grabbed 40% of the respondents as their choice, 30% suggested it was for better living
conditions, while 7% indicated its for better medical care, while 3% for better security, 20%
taught it was for better educational opportunities and none(0%) of the participants taught that
graduates migrate for political freedom.

12
Discussion of findings

This case study which was done to challenge the hypothesis that university graduates from the
University of Guyana migrate due to push factors present in the country and pull factors from
another, supporting this claim came from both primary and secondary sources, which most of the
data collected supported that suggestion strongly.

In analyzing the results collected, majority the respondents agreed that both push and pull factors
create an opportunistic excuse for graduates to leave, forty percent of the responses to why
graduates leave was due to the lack of jobs suiting their qualifications while co relating to
another question majority of the responses to why these graduates migrated to their selected
country was due to the availability of jobs there, the ideology of the push and pull factors came
into play and was related by Dr. Lomarsh Roopnarine under an article about Guyana Population
Movement and Societal development (2013) which stated that that there is a myriad of reasons
for Guyanese extra-regional migration. The most obvious emanated from pull factors such as the
availability of better jobs elsewhere and better living conditions, he further stated that
deteriorating living conditions have pushed Guyanese to move.

It was also stated by Dr. Lomarsh Roopnaine (2013) that political instability can push Guyanese
to migrate but surprisingly when asked specifically for a pull factor they taught would encourage
them (university graduates) to migrate, none (0%) of the respondents indicated political freedom
even though political freedom was a suggested response.

It seemed that all the university graduates wanted to migrate for are for jobs, and the Caribbean
Current in an article on Jamaicans and brain drain (2015) could not have agreed any more or
less, in the article it stated that the incapability to provide jobs for tertiary-level graduates is one
of the biggest contributing factors to the brain drain phenomena the article further goes on to say
if a county is unable to provide proper jobs for the new working class, then people migrate
which would result to the loss of valuable human resources, according to majority of the
responses to the effects of the migration of university graduates to the country.

The researchers judgement on the causes, which further lead to consequences from university
graduates leaving their home land due to some push and pull factors follows a perspective that

made by ( CAPE Caribbean Studies authored by Jeanette Ottlley, Marolyn Gentles and Veta
Dawson (2013)- that Guyana have large portions of their population living outside the country
and the region, thereby depriving the country of the talents and skills for further development.
From the causes that led to increased migration of university graduates effects such as human
capital flight better known as brain drain also deprives the countries of origin of the economic
and social contributions of their best educated and most highly skilled citizens posited by the

13
United Nations Youth Report(2013) this statement has concurred to 50% of the respondents that
indicated that the loss of valuable human resources as the major effect to the country when
university graduates migrate.

14
15
16
Conclusion
This study based on the current increase in migration of university graduates from Guyana have
the presence of push and pull factors present in the sole country and the recipient to be blamed.
Majority of the university graduates that migrate do so because of the hostile living conditions
present in Guyana they blame the lack of proper jobs suiting their qualifications the main reason
for the migration of university graduates at an alarming rate. Along with the push factors, the
existing pull factors present in developed countries also influence the increase in migration of
university graduates, the availability of better paying jobs was agreed to be greatest pull factor to
university graduates looking for employment.

Limitations
Since some of the questions in the questionnaire were standardized and closed there were no
room for the respondents to provide any additional detail that may have been useful to this study.

It was found that some sources that had valuable information related to this study was so
outdated that it could not be used due to its irrelevance to the modern-day situation of this study.

The sample size of this study was on a reasonably small scale to guarantee that the findings are
of standard reliability, due to the lack of finances to subsidized this study to a larger scale

Recommendations
From, the study, it was deduced that graduates migrate due to the lack of proper jobs suiting their
qualifications, it should be a priority of this government to encourage investors to expand their
companies to boast their local coverage in the country to help boost the employment level.

It is recommended that higher education such as certain master programs should be provided to
Guyanese who want to extend their qualifications, the lack of these educational opportunities at
the university of Guyana would force people to migrate elsewhere to acquire them.

There should be an increase of job wages to attract qualified persons to seek employment locally
rather than to migrate overseas to seek better packages

The development of existing infrastructure and facilities should be approached to improve

working conditions for workers

17
Bibliography

The Caribbean Current. ( 2015, June ) Jamaicans and the Brain Drain. Retrieved February 13,
2017, from https://thecaribbeancurrent.com/jamaicans-and-the-brain-drain/

Castles,S. Haas,d,H & Miller.J,M. (2014). The Age of Migration. Basingtroke, Hampshire:
Palgrave Macmillian.

Hope,T.H (2002). Skilled Labour Migration from Developing Countries. Retrieved February
13,2017
fromhttps://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b293/f81e297afcb2efe042c4571da350a7664c8e.pdf

Milanovic,B (2013). The Economic Causes of Migration. Retrieved February 15,2017 from
https://www.theglobalist.com/economic-causes-migration/

Ottley,J. Gentles,M & Dawson,V. (2013). CAPE Caribbean Studies. Harlow, Essex: Person
Education Limited.

Roopnaine, Lomarsh (2013). Guyana Movement and Societal Development. Retrieved February
15, 2017, from https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?
src=http://idsguyana.org/attachments/article/132/Guyana%20Population%20Movement%20and
%20Societal%20Development%202.doc

Limitations
Since some of the questions in the questionnaire were standardized and closed there were no
room for the respondents to provide any additional detail that may have been useful to this study.

It was found that some sources that had valuable information related to this study was so
outdated that it could not be used due to its irrelevance to the modern-day situation of this study.

The sample size of this study was on a reasonably small scale to guarantee that the findings are
of standard reliability, due to the lack of finances to subsidized this study to a larger scale

18
Appendix
238 pike street,

Campbellville,

Georgetown,

Guyana.

Dear respondent,

This is a survey being carried out to determine the potential causes for the migration of graduates
from the University of Guyana. This study is being conducted as an assignment for the school
based assessment (S.B.A) that I am pursuing presently.

You are advised to answer the following question of this questionnaire honestly and truthfully.
Remember this is not a test; there is no right or wrong responses. All the questions can be
answered by placing a tick next to your response.

Specific instruction is given when necessary

Thank you

Steve Rodrigues

19
Questionnaire

1. Gender
Male
Female

2. Age

Please specify

3. Ethnicity
African
East Indian
Amerindian
Portuguese
Chinese
European
Mixed

4. Do you think that there has been an increase in the migration of university graduates?
Yes
No
unsure

5. Do you know any graduate who have migrated?

Yes
No

6. Why do you think the graduates are migrating?

Vacation
Work
Further study
To live

7. Are you aware of the consequences that can result in an educated individual or potential
professional leaving his/her country?
No
Yes

8. What do you think contributes to an increased migration of graduates from the university of
Guyana?
Lack of proper paying jobs suiting their qualifications

20
 High cost of living
Lack of proper infrastructure and facilities to work in
Political instability
Political instability

9. Which country do you think most university graduates migrate to?

United states of America
United Kingdom
Canada
Caribbean region
Australia
China
Other .

10. What factors do you think encourage university graduates to migrate to the county selected
above?
Availability of jobs
Better living conditions
Better medical care
Enforced security
Better educational opportunities
Political freedom

11. Do you think that the county is affected when university graduates migrate?
Yes
No
12. In what ways, do you think the county is mostly affected when university graduates migrate?
Loss of valuable human resources or brain drain
Drop in standards at public facilities/institutions
Can result in a drop of GDP
High increase in fresh imported labour
The employment of lesser qualified persons to fill positions that require higher
qualifications
13. Do you think the government is doing enough to ease the migration of university graduates?
Yes
No
14. Which measure do you think if implemented would help curb the increase migration of
university graduates effectively?
Close the free trade of skilled and qualified professional in CARICOM
Increase job wages
Provide more jobs with better opportunities
Develop infrastructure to enhance working conditions

21
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