Technical and Vocational Training “Absolutely Critical” to Jamaica’s Future – Minister Morris Dixon

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with oversight for Skills and Digital Transformation, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, says investment in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is “absolutely critical” to Jamaica’s future.

Speaking at the HEART/NSTA Trust World Youth Skills Day forum at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St. Andrew on Friday (July 14), Senator Morris Dixon said TVET needs to be destigmatised.

“In many instances, people see TVET as for individuals who didn’t go down an academic route, and it is seen as second-rate, when it is not, because if we look at skills globally, that’s where the world is going; that’s where money is,” she noted.

The Human Employment and Resource Training/National Service Training Agency Trust (HEART/NSTA Trust) is Jamaica’s leading human capital development agency.

Noting that there is a global shortage of skilled workers, Minister Morris Dixon explained that these skills need to have significant technology embedded in them.

“There are many opportunities in skills, but we don’t talk about it and that’s what we have to do a lot more of. We have the talent in Jamaica; we probably haven’t exposed it enough. I also think we have to reach the parents because a lot of our parents really do feel that you have to go down this [academic] route,” she said.

In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared July 15 as World Youth Skills Day to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.

World Youth Skills Day 2023 is being celebrated under the theme ‘Skilling Teachers, Trainers and Youth for a Transformative Future’.

In her remarks, Managing Director of HEART/NSTA, Dr. Taneisha Ingleton, said the world is undergoing rapid technological, economic and societal transformation, and it is imperative for youth to be properly equipped.

“Today’s labour market demands agile and adaptable skills as the world around us continues to change. Our goal is to empower young people to navigate these changes effectively, and technical and vocational education and training is uniquely positioned to meet this demand,” she explained.

Dr. Ingleton further pointed out that TVET reduces access barriers to the world of work and provides invaluable opportunities for youths who are not engaged in education, employment or training.

Referencing a study conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Dr. Ingleton said a one per cent increase in the stock of human capital can lead to a 0.3 per cent increase in average labour productivity and a three to six percent in gross domestic product per capita.

“We are only fooling ourselves if we do not continue on this trajectory. We are only fooling ourselves if we do not continue to invest in TVET and in our young people,” she remarked.