MIIC State Minister Urges Youth To Choose Careers In ICT

Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams says there must be a stronger effort to foster a culture of entrepreneurship among the youth, with particular emphasis on Information Communication Technology (ICT).

“This Ministry supports wholeheartedly the engagement of young persons in activities that direct their creativity towards an entrepreneurial culture that will not only harness their enthusiasm and innovative ideas, but also increase their personal development, social stability, and eventually their economic growth,” she stated.

Mrs. Ffolkes-Abrahams said ICT continues to be one of Jamaica’s fastest growing industries, employing approximately 14,000 persons. She said it is envisaged that this figure will grow by an additional 3,000 over the next three years.

The State Minister noted that with this in mind there is a need to encourage more young people to choose careers in the thriving industry, and to also move away from mostly support functions in ICT, to creating their own businesses.

Mrs. Ffolkes-Abrahams was speaking on Friday, August 22, at the Jamaican Girls Coding Summer Camp 2014 graduation ceremony held at the Jamaica Promotions (JAMPRO) headquarters in New Kingston.

The four-week programme was organised by the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), in association with the Jamaica Coalition of Service Industries (JSCI).

It sought to expose 20 girls, ages 12 to 14, from various high schools in the Corporate Area to the technique of coding.

The programme, facilitated by JAMPRO, also addressed the significant gender gap that exists in the ICT sector.

The girls were presented with certificates and tablets at the graduation ceremony.

Mrs. Ffolkes-Abrahams commended the organisers of the programme, noting that it not only exposes youths, and particularly girls, to the exciting world of ICT, but also recognises that entrepreneurship skills must be instilled from an early age.

“Innovation and technology are critical to Jamaica’s growth and development. In that regard it is important that we develop the ICT skills of our citizens from an early age,” she stated.

The Minister further assured that the Government will continue to develop a deep-seated culture of entrepreneurship in Jamaica, which includes a thrust towards introducing entrepreneurship in the curricula of all primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.

“We want to see more of our women becoming programmers and coders who develop applications that present solutions for our country,” she said.

In the meantime, Minister of State in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining (STEM), Hon. Julian Robinson congratulated the graduates on completing the programme, noting that they have received a remarkable opportunity to learn something completely new.

“This is not the end of the road, as with this privilege there comes a responsibility. I want to ask you to lead group in your schools, to demonstrate to other students what you have done over the four-week period,” he stated.

Mr. Robinson said the vision is to build ‘Girls Who Code’ clubs in several high schools, starting with the participants’ schools and those institutions that are a part of the tablets in schools project.

President of JAMPRO, Diane Edwards encouraged the girls to view the past four weeks as an important investment in their lives, noting that they have a responsibility to build on what they have achieved.

“Don’t let these experiences go to waste. The sky is the limit. Consider a career in ICT – it’s growing, it’s a technology-based industry, and the future is really bright,” she urged.