As Jamaica continues to experience shortages of skilled labour, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared that all unattached youth must access skill training and join the labour force to acquire the jobs that are available.
“The last thing I want to do is import labour into this country. Every single unattached youngster must join the labour force!” thundered Holness while speaking Friday at the launch of the HEART/NSTA Trust’s National Service Corps Residential Camps at the AC Mariott Hotel in New Kingston.
The prime minister relayed to the audience that there was a local business that wanted 50 persons to hire, but they could not find the potential employees.
He said the company officials advised him that they “may have to import” the workers.
However, Holness is adamant that the potential talent exists among unattached youth in various vulnerable and crime-plagued communities.
On that score, he tasked the stakeholders at HEART/NSTA Trust to both find and train the human resources “that are literally locked up” in those communities.
“HEART has to unlock them, HEART has to take them out of those communities and expose them, and give them training, and make them productive citizens and workers of this country,” Holness charged.
The JNSC Residential Camp programme is designed to take unattached youngsters from marginalised communities and expose them to a period of skills training and personal and character development.
At the end of the six-week long camp, participants will be assisted by agents of the Government to find gainful employment.
