Preparing Ja’s workforce

IT IS a known fact that investing in education is perhaps one of the best decisions any government can make. When we invest in our youth’s education, we invest in the future generation of leaders, advocates, practitioners, entrepreneurs, and developers.

As a developing nation, education is critical to development. If we are to succeed in laying the foundation for change and development, we must invest more in access to quality education for all.

As former president of Harvard University, Derek Bok, puts it: “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” Inadequate education produces high costs for society in terms of public spending, crime, health, and economic growth. No country can afford to leave its children behind and not help them achieve the competencies needed for a self-fulfilled life and economic independence.

It is no secret that technological advancements are changing the way we communicate, the way we work, and the type of work available. Automation and robotics are replacing several human tasks and jobs, and changing the skills that organisations are looking for in their people. As a result, there is a tremendous increase in organisational challenges related to human resource and training.

To plan for the future, we must ensure that we properly prepare the youths, equipping them with the expertise and skills that will enable them to adapt to the rapid global changes taking place in all fields of development and knowledge.

According to the World Economic Forum’s report on the future of jobs, the top seven skills for the job market in 2020 will be complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management, coordinating with others, emotional intelligence, and judgment and decision making.

We must recognise that the three critical areas of quality education include:

Foundational literacies – how students apply core skills to everyday tasks. Some of these basic skills include literacy, numeracy, information and communication technology literacy, and scientific, cultural, and civic literacy.

Competences – how students approach complex challenges. This includes the soft skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, creativity, communication, and collaboration.

Character qualities – how students approach their changing environment. This includes honing curiosity and persistence in our youths, leadership, social and cultural awareness, and the ability to take initiative.

On this basis, our industry association is pleased with the Government of Jamaica’s approach in restructuring the matriculation examination from the primary- to the secondary-

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