Tendai Franklyn-Brown, Staff Reporter
Illiteracy and a training deficit are the greatest setbacks to the Jamaican workforce in the 21st century, said Labour and Social Security Minister Pearnel Charles.
Charles was speaking as the Government embarks on a partnership with Okanagan College in British Columbia for a large-scale recruitment drive to employ 1,200 skilled Jamaican workers for the overseas market.
The project, Operation 120, would provide the Canadian province with a labour pool to alleviate the shortage of qualified and experienced personnel.
"My great problem is that many Jamaican workers are not (literate), and so we have a great task in removing this barrier of illiteracy and upgrading them to the standard required in Canada," Charles said.
Jamaica's adult literacy rate currently stands at 79.9 per cent, according to statistics obtained from a UNESCO Education For All (EFA) 2008 monitoring report.
JobBank Chief Executive Officer Dr Leahcim Semaj told The Gleaner yesterday that unless persons are literate to at least the grade nine level, it would be difficult for them to adjust to the contemporary workforce.
"The quality of the workers correlates to the quality of the schooling, which is a serious problem," said Semaj.
He added; "The problem started 20 years ago when we came up with the notion that if you can't use your head, use your hands. The modern world needs 'educated' hands." A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Labour and British Columbia - the Canadian province - earlier this year. Charles expects the programme to be rolled out next year.
Training
Okanagan College has also established relationships with four institutions in Jamaica which are facilitating the training of 400 practical nurses.
The selection process is currently under way to source skilled workers in a number of industries, including cooks, carpenters, masons and hospitality workers.
"The Government is in search of jobs abroad for Jamaicans who are unemployed and we found that this part of Canada - British Columbia - is in search globally for a number of skilled workers and unskilled literate workers," he said.
Successful applicants will participate in an initial 16 weeks of educational and social adjustment, through training at the college in a particular field.
At the programme's completion, the enrolees will alternate on a roster of eight weeks' study and 16 weeks of paid work. Workers then sit an exam while on the job. Successful students will receive a two-year contract in the field in which they are working.
Students are expected to pay half the CDN$5,000 fee at the start of the programme and from their earnings they are expected to pay the remainder. However, accommodation is provided.
Arrangements are being made to assist students who are successful with their applications but require financial aid under a revolving loan fund, which can be repaid after they find employment.
tendai.franklyn-brown@gleanerjm.com
