Apprenticeship Programme Filling Skills Gaps in Global Services Sector

The Global Services Sector’s (GSS) Apprenticeship Programme is equipping potential employees with the appropriate skillsets to meet the industry’s needs.

The initiative enables firms to upskill their employees into new areas of management, providing the workers with the necessary training to fill supervisory and managerial roles.

It is a key component of the GSS project, being executed by JAMPRO over five years at a cost of US$15 million.

The project aims to ensure that the talent pool has the specific skills required by investors in the sector, which incorporates knowledge process outsourcing, information technology outsourcing and business process outsourcing.

“It is another signal of our government’s commitment to providing an enabling environment that is conducive to investment and business growth,” JAMPRO Vice President for Research, Advocacy and Project Implementation, Shullette Cox, said.

She was speaking during the graduation ceremony for the second batch of trainees under the Apprenticeship Programme, held on November 3 at the JAMPRO Auditorium in Kingston.

Ms. Cox pointed out that the programme was established a few years ago when sector stakeholders indicated a challenge finding middle tier professionals with the requisite leadership and management capabilities.

Having adequately skilled and trained staff to fill the sector’s demands is vital in attracting investment.

Ms. Cox said that while potential investors look to JAMPRO to provide advice on what the country is doing to meet their needs, “we are unable to have any meaningful [engagement]… without first having a discussion on the profile of available skills in the country.”

She noted that the Global Services Skills Council serves as the voice of private sector business employers in the industry, by ensuring that skills development undertaken by the Government are directly responding to their specific needs.

“Through this project, we have conveyed the importance of upskilling and lifelong learning and, as such, each apprentice is representing a successful batch of potential employees,” Ms. Cox noted.

She congratulated the 119 graduates of the Apprenticeship Programme.

“It has been heartwarming to recognise a common expression of deep appreciation by the apprentices, not only for the availability of the programme, but also the role it has played in your learning and development as well as your professional growth prospects in Jamaica’s Global Digital Services Sector (GDSS).