It’s not all doom and gloom — Crump
Published:Monday | December 7, 2015 | 4:00 PMMark Titus
WESTERN BUREAU:
While the HEART Trust/ National Training Agency has been tasked to ensure a sustained quality workforce to match global labour market demands, former president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Davon Crump, is bemoaning the poor quality of job applicants.
"We have to sieve through hundreds of applications, and the rÈsumÈs are the first indication that we are in serious trouble," said Crump as he gave the keynote address at a TVET development and support systems quality symposium in Montego Bay last Thursday.
"Yes, we still have persons unable to provide a proper rÈsumÈ and application letter."
According to Crump, who is chief executive officer of Global Outsourcing Solutions Limited, the influence of the social media language, poor customer service skills and lack of regard for punctuality and attendance are among some of the issues plaguing new entrants in the world of work. However, he had high praises for graduates of the state-run HEART Trust/ National Training Agency.
"Despite all these concerns, it's not all doom and gloom. I am happy to say that HEART graduates are usually the best-rounded, and we have found that they are usually better equipped to withstand the fast-paced call centre environment," said Crump.
CHANGE OUR FOCUS
The symposium was held to facilitate discussions around improving the offerings of the state-run educational institution among stakeholders from the private sector, tertiary-level institutions and the hierarchy of the TVET Development and Support Systems Division.
"We can no longer operate like this, and we have to change our focus," Nicole Manning, senior director, corporate planning and strategic development at HEART Trust/NTA, told The Gleaner.
"We cannot just look at brick and mortar. it is very important that our trainees be prepared for not only national priorities, but also global priorities, and so we have to ensure that we think outside the box," she said.
According to Manning, HEART Trust/NTA will be looking into institutionalised training, on-the-job training or apprentice training, but recently launched its first of three mobile labs to train participants in the rural areas in welding, hospitality and renewable energy.