GSS Project Hosts Inaugural Talent Hub Fair

The Global Services Sector (GSS) Project will host its inaugural GSS Virtual Talent Hub Fair on Thursday, June 24, 2021 from 9 am to 5 pm, under the theme “Let’s Talk Skills, Jobs, and Opportunities in the GSS.” Through the Talent Fair, the GSS Project seeks to provide a virtual platform that will mirror a real career day while informing attendees about the GSS working environment and job opportunities in high value-added segments such as Shared Services & Knowledge Process Outsourcing.

Attendees will benefit from 8 hours of recruiting by GSS Firms looking to fill over 4,000 positions in the GSS ranging from entry to mid-level opportunities. Fields such as Human Resources, Information Technology, Legal, Accounting, Banking, Finance, Insurance & Risk Management, represent just some of the areas in which the industry is looking to expand its talent pool.

In addition to on-the-spot virtual recruiting, attendees will also have access to live video presentations including industry outlook discussions with industry experts on various career opportunities available to tertiary graduates in Shared Services and Knowledge Process Outsourcing, and a youth panel discussion with young professionals about their respective experience working in the GSS moderated by Emprezz Golding, radio talk show host & prominent social media personality. Prizes and giveaways round out the special offerings at the Talent Fair. Attendees can look forward to a chance to win digital gift cards courtesy of BlinkSky Jamaica, and phone cards from Digicel Jamaica.

Additionally, all registered persons can gain access to the Digital Awareness Certificate Programme, which includes introductory lessons on cybersecurity, social media customer service, digital marketing and more, courtesy of iCreate Institute.

The Fair caters to Tertiary & Vocational Institute graduates, final year students, upper-level secondary school students & all jobseekers looking for exciting career opportunities in the GSS. A variety of firms in the industry will be in the spotlight at the Fair, with exhibitors from the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) & Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) sectors including KPMG Jamaica, Digicel Jamaica, IBEX, Teleperformance, Sutherland Global, itelbpo, Startek Inc., Hinduja Global Solutions, tTech Jamaica, Continuum Global Solutions and more.

Registration is done online and is free to the public. Julaire Hall, Skills Development Specialist at the GSS Project, explains. “Registration is very quick and easy,” she says. “After visiting the event landing page, you just need to click the ‘register now’ button, sign up with your name and email address or through Facebook, Google or LinkedIn. Then you will be able to fill out the registration form and you are done! The link to the event’s landing page can be found on all of our social media platforms.”

The Talent Fair is the first of its kind for the GSS Project and will provide support for the growing industry. Yoni Epstein, Chairman of the Global Services Skills Council (GSSC) and CEO of Itelbpo, one of the recruiters at the Fair, urges the public to take advantage of the event. “The GSS Virtual Talent Hub Fair is an opportunity for Jamaicans to enter an exciting industry. There is a wealth of job opportunities available, especially in the higher value-added segments,” he notes. “The GSSC is very happy with this initiative. We provide a platform for the industry to meet its goals, drive employer engagement and strengthen the local talent pool. This Talent Fair will support our ongoing efforts to grow the industry.”

About the GSS Project
The Global Services Sector (GSS) Project is a 5-year project funded by the Inter-American Development Bank that will provide Jamaicans with access to training and better jobs in the Global Services Sector, namely in Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO), Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). The Loan was signed on January 24, 2019 between the Government of Jamaica and the Inter-American Development Bank under the Executing Agency, the Jamaica Promotions Corporation.

The GSS Project is supported by major stakeholders, the Ministry of Education Youth and Information, the HEART/NSTA Trust and the Global Services Association of Jamaica (GSAJ).

The Global Services Skills Council
The Global Services Skills Council (GSSC) is an industry-led body with the mandate to identify and articulate the sector’s skills needs, engaging employers in skills development and influencing skills policy. The GSSC helps to set standards and chart career pathways for the GSS, allowing for a more responsive provision of talent supply for meeting the needs of the sector and investors to support growth and expansion.

The GSSC has a wide range of representation from the GSS (including BPO, KPO and ITO) firms, tertiary institutions, government bodies and other key industry stakeholders.

Overview of Knowledge Process Outsourcing & Shared Services
Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) is the contracting of work outside of a company utilizing a third party & includes core and information related business activities. Examples of fields within KPO include Marketing Research, Financial Modelling, Recruiting, Accounting and more.

Shared Services consists of centralizing activities within an organization including HR services, IT related activities and Finance. Jamaica is preparing to attract more jobs in this segment, specifically in Finance & Accounting Outsourcing, Healthcare Information Management Outsourcing (such as Medical Transcription & Billing), and Digital Media Outsourcing.

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