Singapore Lessons: Jamaica’s Growth Beyond BPOs

[Jangle]

Subsequently, in the 1980s, the EDB established technology and design training institutions in Singapore jointly with the governments of Japan, Germany, and France. Additionally, the EDB administers the Skills Development Fund to encourage the right kind of manpower, training to improve productivity. Through this and other education initiatives, Singapore cultivated its human capital by building a wide pool of highly educated and flexible workers.

Indeed, with globalisation, the EDB looks to the world for resources in finance, technology, manpower and information, while promoting foreign investments in high value-added industries. The world is not short of investment money. Billions are sitting in financial institutions earning anaemic returns. This money seeks reputable, credible viable projects and places to be deployed - places that are idea and capability rich and corruption free. Money is not the problem for Jamaica. Money is not the scarce resource. It's all the other factors that hamper us.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/f...th-beyond-bpos

[Don1]

Yes Imani JA missed one of many boats. But is there a plan to move JA up the value chain???

We have a TEAM Working towards that DREAM!!

TOOT!! TOOT!! ALLLL ABOARDDDDD 😀

Jamaica missed the opportunity to transition to the next level from the 809 manufacturing free zones in the 1980s. So the question arises, are we using the BPO investment as a stepping stone to prepare the current and next generation of young people for the next wave of jobs? Is the Government looking for the next industry that can absorb labour but also enable our qualified citizens to earn more? We often hear talk of moving Jamaica up the value chain, but is there an actual plan to do so?

[Assasin]

I said this about the 809 at the time while many were crying cheap labour it was a stepping stone. Now so many women can tell you how they paid for their's and their kids education.

We will not move from a rich to a poor country in an instant but if we take opportunities given to us and grow with a short time we will grow. This was a good read

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...aked-economics

We have to take the steps to grow. Shortcuts will not help.

[Don1]

Regretfully this above reflects muddled 20th century thinking

1.

We will not move from a rich to a poor country in an instant

You may wish to withdraw this

2.

if we take opportunities given to us and grow with a short time we will grow.

This is relatively meaningless. What is fundamentally needed to - not merely "grow" but - to DEVELOP Jamaica is a vast improvement in its KNOWLEDGE BASE. Why is this so?? Obviously because the 21st century is the KNOWLEDGE AGE - where things change at a very rapid pace. That rapid pace is technology-driven and the technology is driven by increasing KNOWLEDGE

3. That increase in our knowledge base AKA developing our HUMAN CAPITAL will not occur without a dynamic and comprehensive medium to long term plan - executed by all significant sectors of society. Do you see much yappin about any such development plan??????????????

4. Merely getting excited about the prospect of more tourist-bearing planes and ships - that does very little to move the DEVELOPMENT needle. Why?? Because such pursuits are low value adding and require minuscule amounts of developed human capital. Consequently there is minuscule demand for such human capital. As a result of our poor human capital Jamaica and Jamaicans are mostly BACKWARD

5. You say we have to "take the steps to grow. Short cuts will not help"
The above is also relatively meaningless and reflects thinking belonging to the 1970s or even the 1960s

What steps?? What does "grow" mean to you?? What are the outcomes expected from this "grow" ting??? What "shortcuts" do you refer to???

And most importantly - considering we're approaching the 3rd decade of the 21st century - what is the plan or path to be followed to achieve a DEVELOPED ECONOMY??

Full time people stop form the fool and get up to speed with the era we live in. Man all ah start plan fi live pon Mars an' Jamaicans still getting excited bout some new warehouse hotel hosting tourists looking for natives to serve & pamper dem rath

Yapping vacuously as was done in the 1960s & 1970s aint cutting it inna dis yah time puppa. Serious times yahnow. Time fi get up to speed wid modern reality

[Assasin]

You think China or Singapore got to where they are by just introducing knowledge base alone??? Right now many of the Highly qualified Jamaicans who can come to first world countries and compete, most can't get a start. Look just recently I saw a girl with about 16 subjects can't get a job.

You have to grow the skill level at the lower level and at the higher level at the same time or you will end up not having a progressive society. Jamaica need employment at the lower level so salaries can rise there. Kids in school need parents with jobs so they don't have spend most of their time worrying about their next meal and family life so they concentrate on a career path.

I don't have time for long "Lala" right now for Jamaica to be developed you have to deal with the info age , info technology and AI at the same time you are giving people job and let income rise and people getting jobs at the lower level, otherwise a few people will take advantage of everybody. Tourism, manufacturing, Agriculture, BPO and other industries have to be growing to produce jobs. It is good to be idealistic but also be a realist.

[Don1]

=Assasin;586773]You think China or Singapore got to where they are by just introducing knowledge base alone???

"introducing knowledge base?? What's that??

Right now many of the Highly qualified Jamaicans who can come to first world countries and compete, most can't get a start. Look just recently I saw a girl with about 16 subjects can't get a job

.

A key point - supporting my argument

"Highly qualified" in what?? 16 subjects???

More 20th century thinking Nowadays it's more about what people are able to DO... not some subjects in dated standardized tests

You have to grow the skill level at the lower level and at the higher level at the same time or you will end up not having a progressive society. Jamaica need employment at the lower level so salaries can rise there. Kids in school need parents with jobs so they don't have spend most of their time worrying about their next meal and family life so they concentrate on a career path

.

These are homilies. No time for such yappin

I don't have time for long "Lala" right now for Jamaica to be developed you have to deal with the info age , info technology and AI at the same time you are giving people job and let income rise and people getting jobs at the lower level, otherwise a few people will take advantage of everybody. Tourism, manufacturing, Agriculture, BPO and other industries have to be growing to produce jobs.

FYI the "Info Age" is over. This is the Knowledge Age/Age of Automation/Age of Robotics - where individuals can apply their knowledge to create value by manipulating information & objects. Get up to speed with reality.

The rest of your homily is fit for a pulpit...in the 1970s

It is good to be idealistic but also be a realist

.

Since I work daily in the field implementing 21st century programs for yutes...the less said about this fatuous comment the better

[Assasin]

an I work implementing 21 technology. You would be surprise to see some of the low level and middle level work that is needed. Fact is we can get it all done and one don't live without the other.

[Sir X]

"Fact is" that is what Don stated ,read his responses again.

Glad yuh agree with Don,tourist wuk,while needed is low skills and isn't going to take us into the 21st century or raise the nation holistic standard of living.

[Assasin]

you have no idea. There are highly skilled professional in tourism.

Even in the "high tech" industry Don1 talking about you have workers at the bottom of the chain who have to do the basic work making a little over minimum wage. There is no high tech without low and I assume you work in health and you have people who does the lowest of low work even though health is major industry, same as tourism.

[Assasin]

http://reports.weforum.org/travel-an...dustry-trends/

[Sir X]

Yuh ead tuff boy,did Don or anyone say otherwise,what is the crux of the arguement is it that low skilled jobs are not needed,did anyone say that !

Fool yuh affi stop approach arguement like Claffy,looking to win at all cost.

[Assasin]

fact is to be a progressive society you have to be able to provide low skilled and high skilled jobs. Anybody who conclude that tourism only provide low skill jobs are the claffy as you call them.

[Sir X]

Again " idiot" is Don or I or anyone saying that ? These low skilled jobs are needed but as it has proven since independence it is not the driver to a 1st world ,even 2nd world standard of living ,like Don stated we need to invest in STEM/Robotics which encompasses every sector of the economy.

Unlike Tourism which is heavily dependent on low skills.

[Assasin]

Tell New York, Paris, Singapore that tourism is not a 1st class driver of their economy. It is a driver that is even more important than just visitors site scene. It bring business, capital, resources for other industries and help local industries if done right.

It easier unnu just stop talking what unnu fail to see. 21 century tourism is just as important as 21 century technology. What is wrong with optimizing all our industries?

Jamaica will only grow when we have at least 3 streams of revenues growing annually.

[Don1]

It easier unnu just stop talking what unnu fail to see. 21 century tourism is just as important as 21 century technology.

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Mi belly!!!! 😂😂😂😂👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿😱