Olympian on her face

[MdmeX]

Especially, when you consider her age. Her DOB is listed as 1973.

[Karl]

Aside: I know not one person who contributed to this

thread said there could not be an issue or a number of issues that were not aired in the newspaper article...

...but the swiftness with which the alternate possibility of the 'young lady' failing to find a job worthy of her education accomplishments suggests there is terrible disconnect with our Jamaica and specifically the size of our job market and the many underemployed and unemployed.

Our relatives have been fortunate in finding 'good paying jobs' or occupations inside and outside of Jamaica but there is one of one of my brothers son who is at home with a 'foreign' degree and up until today even with all the family contacts he just cannot find a job that 'fits' with his 'studies'...and this after 4 years.

Our advice to him is head back to 'foreign'...but he is reluctant to leave 'sweet' Jamaica. Incidentally, he has been self-employed for approximately 2 years having started an unregistered business.

The problems facing the ever increasing numbers joining the workforce each year (inclusive of graduates), the rate of attrition of the employed from the labour force and the decades of anemic job growth...certainly anemic job growth since the abolition of slavery in Jamaica (1830s)...leads to ever increasing difficulty to land a job, period.

The math tells there will have to be a tremendous turn around in positive numbers of avenues for job opportunities to catch-up with our country (...and its people) needs of jobs. The seeming cavalier dismissal of the matching figures, persons in need of employment, available number of jobs and job opportunities needed to trend down(wards) unemployment and underemployment percentage is disturbing.

[MdmeX]

Retire the 70++ age career POLITRIKANS... That should free up some jobs

[Islandman]

Karl I do not think its not her failing to find a job worthy of her qualifications that forumites find strange, that can happen to anyone at almost any time.

It is the way she is living given her background that is very unusual.

For example there is not a thing wrong with your nephew deciding that he wants to stay in JA and "set up shop" rather than go back to foreign. However I rather doubt that he is homeless and selling bag juice on the dangerous streets of Kingston. If he were doing that while having other options, one would have to conclude that something is not right with his thinking.

This story sounds more similar to the Bobby Fray and Hugh Croskill situations to me. She certainly needs help, as they did.

[Don1]

She's down on her luck now for reasons unknown or unspoken...yes it's unusual BUT.....

I can't support casting aspersions of untoward personal behaviour ...especially towards a very recent national representative who has tried her best to bring glory to the nation

Let's get more info first

[Gamma]

Right and so the issue with the disconnect is directly related to the assistance that might be needed.

[Peter R]

This story certainly has the spidey senses tingling, but she articulates and expresses her situation (as she sees it, and I'm not saying she isn't telling the whole story) very well.

In the case of the Messrs. Fray and Crosskill, the nature of their respective situations was no secret. Maybe there is more to this than meets the eye, but regardless, if help is needed for someone, especially who has done what she has done, it should be accorded.

On another note, does the JAAA have a pension fund for athletes?

[Karl]

You may be right.

...but think of highly qualified persons in the USA working as 'floor cleaners', 'bathroom attendants' or running the equivalent of 'selling bag juice'='selling ice cream'. ...the difference between the person in the USA and JA may be only income? ...easier for the person in the USA to survive...right?

She is helping herself...until that 'better day' arrives. The wondering must be on how can she be assisted to be to that 'better day'?

NB: My nephew has large and good support group. It is for him to take one of the suggested pathways or any other open pathway that he sees and wishes to travel along.

[Historian]

Yes, the Job Situation is Rough

I understand, Mo, and I am honestly very sorry about your present job situation. Hopefully, it is merely a temporary situation.

Also, I didn’t realize that your statement about helping others was a general comment (and not specific).

In the case of the lady, I’m not even talking about a high level job. Like I was saying, what puzzles me is that she has not been able to get a job even as an elementary school teacher (there are elementary schools all over Jamaica with less than qualified teachers), a job for which she has experience and for which she is academically qualified.

Don't mind Historian. He is as highly strung as his bass guitar strings. If he loosens up a bit he'll be terribly off-key. You don't want that!

Historian, just for the record, I have never banned anyone from this forum. That is not a one man decision anyway. Yes, a couple posts have been deleted. If I can't sue for libel, better mi just delete dem an done!

So, getting back to the issue - yes, the story seems like there may be a disconnect somewhere. That is quite possible. But I am also suggesting that there doesn't have to be any disconnect more than the inability to connect with an employer for whatever reason. I have been disconnected from a job in Jamaica for several months! I have a million years experience in the construction industry, many of them working in New York City on the biggest jobs with the biggest companies! Okay, so I don't have a degree from Louisiana Tech, but is a farin degree nonetheless!

What? So I am proving your point because I have mental issues too?!

Yuh wrenk and outta ordah!

As for what you contribute, Historian - I am really making a general statement here. This is a public Forum and mi nuh fraid fi call unnu name if I was referring to specific people! Mi bad like dat!

And as for your comment about setting up a fund for the athlete instead of just making silly comments, it appears you have forgotten who is a founding member of the RBSC. The support for this organisation from Forumites who were all clamoring for its establishment has been woeful! We are a microcosm of the larger diaspora - full a chat and nutten else! And I am associated with other organisations where I have witnessed our people coming up with all sorts of excuses why they can't part with their hard earned dead presidents.

So, if you want to take it personal, knock yourself out!

If you would still like to submit your list, please do so!

[Gamma]

The thing with the pension fund is that it requires either a HEFTY endowment to start or the athletes will have to start contributing ... Otherwise it would. E difficult to point to a source capable of funding such a venture ...

[Islandman]

Show me a highly qualified person who is cleaning bathrooms FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD (that is the key point) and I will show you someone who has bigger issues than finding a better job. The issues may be no fault of their own (health issues, abuse issues, etc) but they have bigger issues.

The purpose of higher education is not, in my view, to guarantee employment in the area you were originally trained in. It is to give you the skills required to re-train and re-invent yourself if necessary. If you cannot recognize that yourself then your education was not very useful.

I have worked in Information technology all my life. You think if computers go obsolete I am going to be cleaning bathrooms for years? I promise you i will not unless I have an addiction problem, a physical health problem, a mental problem, or something along those lines.

[Islandman]

Exactly.

[Historian]

I Agree

Excellent points!

Show me a highly qualified person who is cleaning bathrooms FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD (that is the key point) and I will show you someone who has bigger issues than finding a better job. The issues may be no fault of their own (health issues, abuse issues, etc) but they have bigger issues.

The purpose of higher education is not, in my view, to guarantee employment in the area you were originally trained in. It is to give you the skills required to re-train and re-invent yourself if necessary. If you cannot recognize that yourself then your education was not very useful.

I have worked in Information technology all my life. You think if computers go obsolete I am going to be cleaning bathrooms for years? I promise you i will not unless I have an addiction problem, a physical health problem, a mental problem, or something along those lines.

[MdmeX]

Fully support your thought process.