Workforce Upskilling Deemed Key for Local Take-Up of Top Tier Global Services Jobs

Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Dr. the Hon. Norman Dunn, has reiterated the importance of upskilling Jamaica’s workforce to take up management and leadership positions under the Global Services Sector (GSS) Apprenticeship Programme.

He said the programme is crucial for the transfer of knowledge in the sector which, noting that it creates a “pool of talent” specifically tailored to tap into the growth and business opportunities in the industry, deemed Jamaica’s third-largest employer behind the public and tourism sectors.

“I like the GSS Apprenticeship Programme because, of course, the need for apprenticeship is so important. We do understand that there are requirements for the industry to excel and to grow; so there must be… minimum standards that must be met,” Dr. Dunn indicated

He was addressing the Global Services Association of Jamaica (GSAJ) President’s Forum at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort in St. Ann, on October 27.

Some 114 persons recently graduated from the Apprenticeship Programme which is a flagship initiative of the Global Services Sector Project, a five-year US$15-million government undertaking. being implemented by Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO).

The project is supported by major stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education and Youth, HEART/NSTA Trust, and GSAJ.

Dr. Dunn said that as the Government continues to look at all the other areas within the global services sector where collaborations have been forged with industry stakeholders, such as training and infrastructure development, “there will be continuous need for private sector partnerships, in terms of developing that specific talent pool that you’re requiring for this industry.”

“The Global Services Sector continues to be an area of significant focus for the Government of Jamaica. This sector has enjoyed the highest employment growth rate of any… sector in the last decade,” he added.

For his part, GSAJ President, Anand Biradar, indicated that the sector contributes approximately US$890 million annually to Jamaica’s economy, representing about six per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).

Additionally, he said the industry employs some 58,000 people across 90 domestic and international companies operating in the country.

“Looking into the future and [the prospects of] expanding into [other] parishes, I would say [the] work-from-home [modality] plays a very important part in the growth [going] forward. The speed and spread of the internet and stable, affordable electricity are two very critical things for the work-from-home infrastructure to grow; and that makes it easy for rural Jamaica to grow faster,” Mr. Biradar explained.

“Through these infrastructure changes, supported by sound economic and Special Economic Zone policies, we can educate remotely as much as possible, train, employ and manage business remotely, so that more and more people in Jamaica become economically empowered, wherever they are,” he added.

The President’s Forum was held under the theme, ‘Inclusive Growth: Imperatives for Growth and Rural Development’.

It featured a panel discussion involving key Global Services Sector stakeholders, who are advocating for accommodative policies and supporting inputs aimed at bolstering the sector’s competitiveness.

Source: JIS