Newby

Ten years ago, Warren Newby was a teenager mapping his career path. However, on Thursday, the newly-installed Senator told some 200 students of the importance of being skilled and productive in an increasingly competitive workforce.

Speaking at the Jamaica Employers' Federation's (JEF) National Youth Employment Forum at the University of the West Indies, Mona, St. Andrew, Senator Newby said skills development through training is increasingly important for upgrading the stock of human capital.

"Our ability as a country to absorb new technology, to produce goods and services that can reach the standard of quality and performance acceptable in the interna-tional market, is dependent on the quality of schools and the priority given to have a steady flow of well-trained workers," Senator Newby said.

Quoting data from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica, he said that, on average, 58 per cent of first-time job seekers between 2003 and 2005 did not attain a pass in any subject in their external school leaving examination at the secondary level.

Skills training

Senator Newby, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, said that if Jamaica wants to compete in the global market, emphasis must be placed on producing a skilled or trainable workforce.

"With an improvement in our human capital, companies are more likely to adapt to the changing global marketplace and thus be able to maintain or increase their competitive edge," he said.

In the meantime, Senator Newby lauded the JEF on its publication of the Ready for Work and Business handbook, which was launched at the forum.

Stating that the book "is a step in the right direction to improving our productivity levels", he said collaborative effort has to be made between the public and private sectors to ensure that students have access to the publication.