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Key Issues and Challenges
Despite some accomplishments in the sector, there are a number of issues and challenges that
need to be addressed if our country is to become a knowledge-based society that is able to take
advantage of the opportunities presented by globalization. The activities of the training and
workforce development agencies are hampered by problems inherent in the education sector
which feed into the training system and negatively affect the quality of the Jamaican workforce.
The HEART Trust/NTA has been progressively widening its reach and increasing its capacity to
train more people. In 2007/08, the number of trainees enrolled in the system was approximately
111,411 (53 % female), with over 59,000 graduating (53.8 % female). This was an increase over
the previous year. Table 1, confirms that the outputs from HEART Trust/NTA and other
programmes have been steadily increasing but estimates suggest that close to 70.0 per cent or
over 700,000 workers are in need of training. Just over 70 per cent of first time job seekers have
no vocational, technical or professional qualifications, close to 20 per cent of Jamaican adults are
illiterate and another 15.0 per cent possess only basic numeracy skills. Some 142,000 youth are
outside of the education system and the labour force, and 5.0 per cent did not go beyond Grade
97.
A summary of the main issues and challenges is listed below.
1. While Jamaica applies international standards and skill competencies in its workforce
development and training, the capacity of learners to fully access the learning process is
often hampered by the quality of the education system. Additionally, while Jamaica
continues to boost workforce skills through vocational training, little consideration is
7Fox, Kristin (2003) Mapping Unattached Youth in Jamaica (Draft) IADB
11given to the interaction among basic educational attainment, training and lack of labour
market policies resulting in ineffectiveness in many of the training programmes offered.
2. Only 30 per cent of the labour force is certified (academic and skill training).
3. Labour market analyses are not effectively utilized by training and workforce
development agencies to direct decision-making in relation to training.
4. Insufficient funding exists to adequately upgrade, retool and provide skill training to
approximately 70 per cent of the labour force. (1.3m x70% = 910K)
(Only 390K trained, and not all of these are employed)
5. Government has not established a coherent and comprehensive HRD policy framework
consistent with its broader development and investment strategy, resulting in training
being insufficient, not being relevant to meet new demands, and in some cases, not able
to quickly address the changing needs in the workplace.
6. The training system does not sufficiently promote a culture of entrepreneurship. Small
enterprises are largely recognized as the main generators of new employment and in
2008, 37.3 per cent of the Jamaican Labour Force was self-employed8.
7. The challenge facing Jamaica is to develop the economy through positioning itself in the
global market so that it can increase productivity. This should be simultaneous with
forging a competitive advantage, producing high value, lower volume, highly
differentiated goods and services for niche markets, and developing the skills and
competencies of our human resources to ensure that the economy’s need for labour and
the labour force’s need for employment are both satisfied.
8. A culture of lifelong learning needs to be engendered across the society moving it from
the focus on adult or continuing education to a ‘cradle-to-the-grave’ approach.
9. The need to place more emphasis on training for job growth, especially in hospitality,
construction, information communication and technology.
10. Career education and guidance is limited in scope and needs to be integrated in the
education and training systems while carefully mapping out new and emerging careers,
and providing opportunities for new entrants to the labour market.
11. Partnerships with employers and other training providers need to be strengthened.
STATIN Labour Force Survey 2008
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