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Growth & Jobs | JCC president: Youth unemployment figures worrying

Published:Tuesday | December 13, 2022 | 12:07 AMChristopher Serju/Senior Gleaner Writer
From left: Dionne Nugent, chairman of the eDrive Project Steering Committee; Michael McMorris, president, Jamaica Chamber of Commerce; Roberto Aiello, principal, Regional Energy Specialist, IDB Lab; and Gary Barrow, chief operating officer, JPS, conversing
Nicholas Nunes/Photographer
From left: Dionne Nugent, chairman of the eDrive Project Steering Committee; Michael McMorris, president, Jamaica Chamber of Commerce; Roberto Aiello, principal, Regional Energy Specialist, IDB Lab; and Gary Barrow, chief operating officer, JPS, conversing at the eDrive launch of occupational standards for EHV training and training of first responders, held at the Spanish Court Hotel on December 9.

Although Jamaica has made tremendous progress in reducing its unemployment rate, which in July stood at an impressive 6.6 per cent, the youth unemployment figure which now stands at 16.6 per cent is troubling, president of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) Michael McMorris has charged.

McMorris commended successive administrations for the progress in lowering the country’s unemployment rate, adding that, a few years ago, single digit unemployment was inconceivable.

“Youth unemployment stands at a staggering 16 per cent, down significantly over the last year, (but) 16 per cent unemployment, regardless of trends, cannot be a good thing. This represents 35,000 youngsters looking for jobs who can’t find them and parents of 35,000 young adults stretching to make ends meet because of a lack of opportunity for the next generation.

“Then there are another 700,000 people outside of the workforce entirely. This is almost the equivalent of half the current workforce. Some of that is self-employment and higher learning and we certainly applaud those cohorts. But imagine if we could employ even half of those that have just given up looking for work or never even started. Imagine the creativity and resourcefulness that lies latent there just in need of a fillip, a hand up,” McMorris urged.

Developing new technologies is one way of getting youngsters excited about work and mobilising their creative and innovative impulses, as well as moving those already employed, up the value chain, the JCC president recommended.

“There are some problems that have been with us for so long that they seem unsolvable until you do the hard work to unlock a solution. I believe that, by facilitating an industry such as EV, you open up the way for so many spin-off opportunities. It will become clear that the specific design of the Edrive initiative and its components represent a strong step towards an effective solution for youth unemployment.”

McMorris referenced a 2015 Deloite study which found that technological innovation is the greatest driver of increased employment and without which there is no big leap forward in employment and productivity, no spike in growth curve.

“Therefore, let’s embrace the clean energy industries and EV mechanics, even beyond the obvious benefit of such a move for a tourism-dependent nation, but also because they provide good job and entrepreneurial opportunities for our economy, a chance to spike the growth curve.

“So, while this occasion is treating with one element of the project, it is paving the way for so much more to come. The targeting of our key first-responder personnel creates a safe environment for the industry to flourish, so this acts as a great first step.”