Education Must Equip Students for Jobs, Economic Growth, and Global Competitiveness
Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness says there is an urgent need for Jamaica’s education system to be more purposeful and industry-aligned.
Prime Minister Holness says this focus would ensure a work-ready, problem-solving cohort of Jamaicans who are not only knowledgeable but also fully equipped to drive economic growth.
Speaking on Wednesday (May 28) at the Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education, Dr. Holness emphasized that the country’s education system must not only cultivate knowledge but also foster reasoning, problem-solving, positive attitudes, and alignment with the nation’s industrial and economic priorities.
“We have taken bold steps to reform teacher education, protect the teaching profession, and increase alignment between the classroom and the demands of the real world. We must ensure that our education system is aligned with our industry, our commerce, and our economy,” Prime Minister Holness said.
Dr. Holness warned that without fundamental literacy and numeracy, misalignment between education and workforce needs will persist.
“The misalignment started when we de-emphasized or were not able to teach as is required, numeracy and mathematics. The other element is literacy and the ability to reason and compose responses,” Dr. Holness said.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister also addressed the growing concern of employers about the quality of the local workforce, not just in terms of skills but in terms of readiness and mindset.
“The challenge that employers have is that the attitude is not just anti-social; sometimes it is also anti-growth,” he said.
Dr. Holness said the education must promote innovation and uplift individuals to contribute meaningfully to national development.
“For a developing country, the need for a utilitarian education system is very important. If we do not have an aligned education system, what we will end up having are trained people who cannot fill the jobs that are available,” he stated.
Noting the stark shift in national employment trends over the past decade, from job scarcity to a lack of trained workers, Dr. Holness underscored the urgency of transforming the education system.
“Ten years ago, the greatest challenge that we faced was to create jobs. Today, we have an unemployment rate of 3.5 percent. But the bigger problem now is that we do not have enough trained persons to fill the jobs that are available.”
To address this challenge, the government has launched a national response to underperforming schools with targeted interventions in literacy and mathematics.
Additionally, students in these schools will receive meals, recognizing that nutrition is a critical component of learning.
The Prime Minister said Jamaica’s educators are up to the task to transform the sector.
“We have a lot of work to do, but I know we are up to the task because we have the educators, as exemplified here, who are committed, competent, and capable.”