Youth Urged To Prepare For Global Labour Market

Minister of Youth and Culture, Hon. Lisa Hanna, is urging Jamaica’s youth to prepare to compete in a changing global labor market, and also create their own opportunities for employment.

“By 2030, the International Labour Organization (ILO) says we are going to have to create 500 million new jobs…to be able to satisfy the labour demands of young people. Now that puts you in a very good place; you can create the type of opportunities right here in Jamaica that will make you globally competitive,” she said.

Ms. Hanna was addressing scores of young people on November 28, at a session held at the Jamaica Pegasus in New Kingston.

She noted that large countries such as China and India are capitalizing on the creativity and ingenuity of its people by filling the needs for skilled persons globally. For example, she said, China leads in terms of manufacturing of products and India as it relates to intellectual services and information communication technologies (ICT).

Ms. Hanna urged Jamaicans to identify internationally competitive markets so that “we are able to create industries like China and India, to be able to compete.

She also encouraged them to think carefully about the professions they want to enter and to make sure they choose careers that are profitable and adaptable.

“It doesn’t make sense you go to school and you study and then when you can’t find a job in that particular industry in Jamaica, that you blame the Government and some other factor why you can’t get a job,” she said, noting that the top ten in demand jobs in 2013, did not exist in 2003.

The session formed part of activities for Youth Month, which is celebrated in November. It was intended to provide a space and opportunity for young people, who have a keen interest in entrepreneurship, social enterprise and business development to acquire first hand information from some of Jamaica’s key leaders in business.

Other outcomes of the initiative include: the sharing of best practices that can effectively impact Youth Business Development initiatives; facilitate a greater understanding of central terms and business development methodologies amongst participants; and develop a database of youth business development initiatives in order to provide practical referrals and support base for youth.

Other speakers at the function include: Vice Chairman, Restaurant Associates Limited, Richard Lake; Executive Director, Jamaica Money Market Brokers Limited, Donna Duncan Scott; Manager, Treasury, Scotia Bank Jamaica; and Chief Executive Officer, ITEL BTO Solutions, Yoni Epstein.