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an high school certification. How can Jamaica prosper under these conditions? I care less what the IMF says, Jamaica is a failed state! No wonder the dionasaurs are allowed to wield power while the progressives have to retreat to greener pastures. Sad part is that this is nothing new, while citizens of developed nation brag about what college they attended, we are stuck arguing about Manning Cup! This is what the leaders of the log "log on to progress" passe and "time for change" party has brought us. Failed State I tell you!
Hope for literacy
JFLL wants to help firms improve workers' skills
By ALICIA DUNKLEY Observer staff reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Approximately 70 per cent of the country's working population do not have high school certification, a worrisome reality that the Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning (JFLL) says has implications for functional literacy and overall productivity.
But the JFLL, formerly the JAMAL Foundation - the Government agency established more than 30 years ago to improve adult literacy - is set on tackling this problem head-on, and says it is willing to work with firms to address the issue.
Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning executives Dr Allison Cross (left) and Sandra Prince addressing Observer reporters and editors at the newspaper's weekly Monday Exchange yesterday. (Photos: Bryan Cummings)
"We need to have higher levels of literacy, and firms will have to look within to see if persons have the skills to function," said Dr Allison Cross, co-chair of the technical services sub-committee of the JFLL's board.
According to Dr Cross, while the focus of the JFLL - despite its name change and wider programme offerings - remained adult literacy for empowerment, there was now an emphasis on collaborating with workplaces to help improve the functional skills of their labour force.
"We are not moving away from the core function of literacy. We're in a very high-tech environment... but we find our workers are not as functional as they could be," she noted.
Dr Cross was among a group of JFLL officials who, along with representatives from several of their partnering agencies, were guests at yesterday's weekly Observer Monday Exchange meeting of reporters and editors in advance of today's observance of International Literacy Day.
Tamar Nelson (right) of the National Productivity Centre speaking at the Observer Monday Exchange yesterday. Beside her is colleague Taneisha Nelson. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
According to the JFLL's mcarketing and public relations manager, Gerrard McDaniel, the majority of the workforce referred to are employed in the agriculture, tourism and construction sectors.
"In terms of underemployment, studies have shown that approximately 70 per cent of the Jamaican working population do not have high school certification," said JFLL's director of technical services Sandra Prince.
While the JFLL is not at present able to adequately measure productivity and is uncertain as to when it will begin to do so, it is being guided by a 1997 KPMG Peat Marwick study which put the direct cost of illiteracy at $3.9 billion or 2.4 per cent of GDP at the time.
However, according to senior productivity specialist at the National Productivity Centre, Tamar Nelson, "Jamaica's overall labour productivity has been trending in the wrong direction".
Said Nelson: "Jamaica is not in a position to measure the impact this has. We are not measuring at this point the impact illiteracy has on productivity but satisfactory literacy and numeracy skills will improve business productivity." She said firms would have to internally assess how the functionality of their employees can be maximised.
The JFLL, which has more than 7,000 individuals enrolled in 28 branches islandwide, said it is ramping up its interaction with religious denominations islandwide in order to have more churches involved in offering the programmes which are heavily subsidised to persons.
The JFLL began as the JAMAL Foundation in 1973. It was incorporated in October 2006 with a mandate to train a knowledge-based population through lifelong learning opportunities and is an agency of the Ministry of Education. It supports the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation goal of basic education for all by 2015 and the national drive towards the achievement of universal secondary education (Grade 11).
Among the courses offered are high school equivalency programmes, basic literacy and training in computer literacy. The programme takes the adult learner from basic literacy and numeracy up to the Grade 6 level. Based on a pre-training test, learners are placed at one of four levels and guided to advancement at their natural pace.
Hope for literacy
JFLL wants to help firms improve workers' skills
By ALICIA DUNKLEY Observer staff reporter dunkleya@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Approximately 70 per cent of the country's working population do not have high school certification, a worrisome reality that the Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning (JFLL) says has implications for functional literacy and overall productivity.
But the JFLL, formerly the JAMAL Foundation - the Government agency established more than 30 years ago to improve adult literacy - is set on tackling this problem head-on, and says it is willing to work with firms to address the issue.
Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning executives Dr Allison Cross (left) and Sandra Prince addressing Observer reporters and editors at the newspaper's weekly Monday Exchange yesterday. (Photos: Bryan Cummings)
"We need to have higher levels of literacy, and firms will have to look within to see if persons have the skills to function," said Dr Allison Cross, co-chair of the technical services sub-committee of the JFLL's board.
According to Dr Cross, while the focus of the JFLL - despite its name change and wider programme offerings - remained adult literacy for empowerment, there was now an emphasis on collaborating with workplaces to help improve the functional skills of their labour force.
"We are not moving away from the core function of literacy. We're in a very high-tech environment... but we find our workers are not as functional as they could be," she noted.
Dr Cross was among a group of JFLL officials who, along with representatives from several of their partnering agencies, were guests at yesterday's weekly Observer Monday Exchange meeting of reporters and editors in advance of today's observance of International Literacy Day.
Tamar Nelson (right) of the National Productivity Centre speaking at the Observer Monday Exchange yesterday. Beside her is colleague Taneisha Nelson. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
According to the JFLL's mcarketing and public relations manager, Gerrard McDaniel, the majority of the workforce referred to are employed in the agriculture, tourism and construction sectors.
"In terms of underemployment, studies have shown that approximately 70 per cent of the Jamaican working population do not have high school certification," said JFLL's director of technical services Sandra Prince.
While the JFLL is not at present able to adequately measure productivity and is uncertain as to when it will begin to do so, it is being guided by a 1997 KPMG Peat Marwick study which put the direct cost of illiteracy at $3.9 billion or 2.4 per cent of GDP at the time.
However, according to senior productivity specialist at the National Productivity Centre, Tamar Nelson, "Jamaica's overall labour productivity has been trending in the wrong direction".
Said Nelson: "Jamaica is not in a position to measure the impact this has. We are not measuring at this point the impact illiteracy has on productivity but satisfactory literacy and numeracy skills will improve business productivity." She said firms would have to internally assess how the functionality of their employees can be maximised.
The JFLL, which has more than 7,000 individuals enrolled in 28 branches islandwide, said it is ramping up its interaction with religious denominations islandwide in order to have more churches involved in offering the programmes which are heavily subsidised to persons.
The JFLL began as the JAMAL Foundation in 1973. It was incorporated in October 2006 with a mandate to train a knowledge-based population through lifelong learning opportunities and is an agency of the Ministry of Education. It supports the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation goal of basic education for all by 2015 and the national drive towards the achievement of universal secondary education (Grade 11).
Among the courses offered are high school equivalency programmes, basic literacy and training in computer literacy. The programme takes the adult learner from basic literacy and numeracy up to the Grade 6 level. Based on a pre-training test, learners are placed at one of four levels and guided to advancement at their natural pace.
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