Employers want workers with higher-grade skills

While Jamaican firms have uncertainty about their ability in the short-term to create new jobs, employers complain about the lack of certification among workers and say they are heading for a labour market that will demand employees with higher education and greater levels of technical competence.

But employers, across sectors, do not only want certified workers with requisite skills, but say they must come with positive disposition towards their jobs and, preferably, some knowledge of the work environment.

These concerns are highlighted in a recently published labour market report by the island's labour ministry, based on a survey among more than 300 firms completed in mid 2009.

"Employers were asked to identify changes in the education and training system which would satisfy their needs," the report says. "Almost two-thirds of the responses asked for graduates with positive attitudes towards work. This was followed by hands-on experience (49 per cent) and more technical skills (42 per cent)."

More specifically, employers, pointing to an 'over level one' certification in technical fields, said there was demand for people with training at higher grades - levels three and four.

Moreover, both educational institutions and employers recognised that, while persons with first degrees now tend to have an advantage in certain employment situations, they, increasingly, cannot expect that to last. "... There has been an increasing demand for post-graduate qualifications."

Adds the report: "At the tertiary level, bachelor and master's degrees are in demand, and employers prefer these graduates to have managerial and supervisory skills."

Global meltdown

For persons who leave high school straight for the job market, their chances of employment are enhanced if they have skills/training in accounting and information technology.

The labour ministry conducted its study as part of an effort to match employer needs against available skills and to map a training/education regime.

But the study came as the Jamaica economy was under stress from the global meltdown and the jobless rate, currently at more than 11 per cent, was on the rise.

It was in that context that nearly a three quarter held views ranging from uncertainty to outright pessimism about their ability to add jobs in the next few years - 31 per cent were uncertain, a similar amount said their employment situation would remain steady and 11 per cent expected to cut jobs.

But even then, there were pockets of vacancies in the job market, as was the case with 18 per cent of the firms surveyed.

"The types of workers who were in demand were primarily managers, security officers, clerical workers and sales persons," the labour ministry document says. "Vacancies were also reported in contact centre operators, airport agents, training coordinators, cultivation workers, personnel officers, administrative assistants, phlebotanists and certified electricians."

However, 23 per cent of the sample said they expected to add jobs over the next two years, with 81 per cent of these saying that increased employment would come on the back of expansion.

Early recovery

Plans to change core functions, to retool and optimism for an early recovery in the economy were among the other reasons why these firms expected to employ new staff.

At the bottom line, the report pointed to a resurgence in agriculture and likely job creation in this sector, as well as "a high demand for skills in the areas of customer service, computer technology and sales".

It also suggested that persons pay greater attention to agriculture and agro-processing, as well as for more resources to be put to the training of persons "for the occupations that are short supply or high demand".

The labour ministry also called for "a policy which ensures that the curricula of all education and training institutions (from primary to post-secondary) include courses which reinforce positive attitudes in the workplace and good work ethics".

"This should have a positive impact on the quality of workers who enter the workforce and improve production."

AUstanny@yahoo.com