Teachers Vital to Developing Skilled Workforce – PM

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says teachers have a key role to play in equipping the labour force with the skills required by industry that are vital for a country’s growth and development.

Addressing students and faculty of The Mico University College at the institution’s Marescaux Road location in Kingston on Wednesday (May 7), the Prime Minister noted that Jamaica is experiencing a unique period in its history, where the constraints to economic growth are not due to a lack of capital but the shortage of skilled labourers.

He said that the economy is now demanding more engineers, technicians, healthcare professionals, data analysts, data scientists, programmers and people involved in robotics and mechatronics.

Consequently, he noted, the country needs more educators who can teach these emerging professions and skills.

“We’re looking to get onto another rung on the ladder of development but that rung requires a higher level of skill in our population, and to get that, you are important to this.

“The Mico University, all our tertiary institutions and, in particular, those who are involved in teacher training, you are, therefore, critical to releasing this binding constraint on our growth potential,” Dr. Holness noted, during his Teachers’ Day visit.

It is for this reason, he said, that human capital is a central part of the growth model under the Government’s ASPIRE Jamaica Programme.

“Under the ASPIRE framework – our comprehensive plan for economic transformation – the P stands for people and human capital development. We are putting people at the heart of our growth model because no nation can develop faster than its education system allows. If human capital is our engine of growth, then education is the fuel that powers it,” Dr. Holness reasoned.

“That makes your role as students and educators absolutely vital. You are not spectators in this process. You are central players,” he noted.

The Prime Minister lauded the student teachers and teacher trainers, referring to them as “torchbearers of knowledge and the architects of our nation’s future, guiding generations of Jamaicans towards their full potential”.

He said that the Teachers’ Day theme, ‘Safeguarding the Future of Education: Adapting to the Changing Landscape’, is both timely and urgent and is directly connected to the nation’s priorities.

“It challenges us to think not just about how we educate but also why we educate and what kind of society we are preparing our young people to inherit, navigate and lead,” Dr. Holness said.

The Prime Minister applauded The Mico University College for its more than 180 years of teacher training and its contribution to nation-building through its role in shaping the minds of young Jamaicans.

President of The Mico University College, Dr. Asburn Pinnock, said the institution, which has produced close to 80 per cent of Jamaica’s educators, has had worldwide impact.

“Our students are Jamaica’s future educators, poised to shape our nation with creativity and courage. Our faculty leads in research and pedagogy, which is why we are leaders in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) and special education, producing students who will excel to expand our community. Mr. Prime Minister, our alumni stretch from Kingston to Accra [in Ghana], Montego Bay to Ontario [in Canada],” Dr. Pinnock stated, adding that the institution offers 12 bachelor’s degree and five master’s degree programmes.

He said that because of its numerous achievements and global impact the stakeholders are inspired to sustain the legacy of The Mico University College.