Dear Editor,
It is not lost on me that the uprisings in the Middle East (Arab Uprising) in 2010 onwards were led primarily by highly qualified, underemployed or unemployed individuals. Notwithstanding the personal benefits associated with gaining post-secondary education, nothing is more frustrating than having made the sacrifice for three or four years to pursue these studies, then face a future of uncertainty or even hopelessness.
In response, however, to the many challenges that face several communities across this island, we continue to hear the mantra of training, training, training. As a former manager of an institution involved in technical/vocational training, it always struck me that success was measured by the number of graduates produced, as against the ability of the said graduates to find meaningful employment after training. It therefore brings me no pleasure in seeing graduates of the institution, who I know to have skills in electrical and mechanical maintenance or welding, smartly dressed in their security guard uniforms handing me chits as I enter the gates of yet another training institution.
Although the referenced institution has included entrepreneurship as a key aspect of training, how many of these highly skilled individuals can our economy absorb?
The question for us as a people, as a country, to answer must therefore be based on whether the structure of our economy is geared towards facilitating the absorption of these skills for which taxpayers contribute significantly to their delivery.
Given the current structure, we wince at the potential devastation to our bottom line when threatened by Zika as the tourists won’t come; and we dare not institute a state of emergency, limited or otherwise, to save the lives of the natives, as again it will scare the visitors. We, however, can do this in the east as no one visits here anyway.
Is it, therefore, time for us to finally decide what we are as a country? Do we need to focus on the development of industries that can absorb these technically trained, highly skilled individuals? Or do we try to be the clean, pristine destination for those who opt to visit in order to get away? I have not made a decision one way or the other — though I have my leaning— but I was excited by the announcement, against my better judgement, of the ALPART purchase/development. It represented for me not only the creation of jobs in that area, but also the spin-off industries that could absorb the skills of my technical friends, who will no doubt need to engage the skills of support individuals in management, marketing, accounting, etc.
Whatever we decide, let us do so soon and get a move on; too much talking and back talking. Failure to do so will be a decision on our future. Are we far along in the creation of our own “Jamaican Uprising”? I certainly hope not.
Andrew Isaacs
andrew_isaacs@yahoo.com
It is not lost on me that the uprisings in the Middle East (Arab Uprising) in 2010 onwards were led primarily by highly qualified, underemployed or unemployed individuals. Notwithstanding the personal benefits associated with gaining post-secondary education, nothing is more frustrating than having made the sacrifice for three or four years to pursue these studies, then face a future of uncertainty or even hopelessness.
In response, however, to the many challenges that face several communities across this island, we continue to hear the mantra of training, training, training. As a former manager of an institution involved in technical/vocational training, it always struck me that success was measured by the number of graduates produced, as against the ability of the said graduates to find meaningful employment after training. It therefore brings me no pleasure in seeing graduates of the institution, who I know to have skills in electrical and mechanical maintenance or welding, smartly dressed in their security guard uniforms handing me chits as I enter the gates of yet another training institution.
Although the referenced institution has included entrepreneurship as a key aspect of training, how many of these highly skilled individuals can our economy absorb?
The question for us as a people, as a country, to answer must therefore be based on whether the structure of our economy is geared towards facilitating the absorption of these skills for which taxpayers contribute significantly to their delivery.
Given the current structure, we wince at the potential devastation to our bottom line when threatened by Zika as the tourists won’t come; and we dare not institute a state of emergency, limited or otherwise, to save the lives of the natives, as again it will scare the visitors. We, however, can do this in the east as no one visits here anyway.
Is it, therefore, time for us to finally decide what we are as a country? Do we need to focus on the development of industries that can absorb these technically trained, highly skilled individuals? Or do we try to be the clean, pristine destination for those who opt to visit in order to get away? I have not made a decision one way or the other — though I have my leaning— but I was excited by the announcement, against my better judgement, of the ALPART purchase/development. It represented for me not only the creation of jobs in that area, but also the spin-off industries that could absorb the skills of my technical friends, who will no doubt need to engage the skills of support individuals in management, marketing, accounting, etc.
Whatever we decide, let us do so soon and get a move on; too much talking and back talking. Failure to do so will be a decision on our future. Are we far along in the creation of our own “Jamaican Uprising”? I certainly hope not.
Andrew Isaacs
andrew_isaacs@yahoo.com