For
those of you thinking there are no jobs in Jamaica, think again!!
The
NEO (New Opportunities for Youth) program a joint venture of the DBJ
(Development Bank of Jamaica) and YUTE (Youth Upliftment Through Employment),
aims to make some 10,000 Jamaican school-leavers employable as reported in the
article “NEO
targets employment for 10,000 youths”, published Sunday, November 22, 2015
by Avia Collinder, The Jamaica
Observer.
The
US$9.3 million project, which is funded by a US$1.2 million technical
assistance grant from the IDB's (Inter Developement Bank) Multilateral
Investment Fund or IDB MIF, will have some 100 companies in the following
sectors employing the school leavers:
1.
Construction
2.
Logistics
3.
Tourism
The
IDB MIF had been recently approved the NEO as a job skills initiative
structured as follows:
1.
Arcos Dorados
2.
Caterpillar Foundation
3.
CEMEX
4.
Foundation Forge
5.
IDB's Labor Markets Unit
6.
IYF (International Youth Foundation)
7.
Microsoft
8.
MIF
9.
SESI
10.
Walmart
The
NEO Jamaica partnership, with the Jamaican chapter being run by YUTE, includes
the following Private and Public Sector partners:
1.
BPIAJ (Business Process Industry
Association)
2.
CEMEX
3.
HEART
4.
HTA (Hotel and Tourism Association of
Jamaica)
5.
Ministry of Labour and Social Security
6.
Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy
and Mining
7.
Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture
8.
NYS (National Youth Service)
9.
PIOJ (Planning Institute of Jamaica)
10.
PSOJ (The Private Sector Organization of
Jamaica)
11.
Red Stripe
12.
The University of West Indies
So
are these sectors really in need of skilled labour?
10000 Jamaicans to be
employed under DBJ and YUTE IDB sponsored NEO as General Election Nears
These
areas identified of the Jamaican economy have a need for specialized skilled
labour which is lacking in Jamaica as they’re set for growth, based on the
latest news on investment in the Media!
The
tourists industry, is in need of a lot of trained staff in the next ten (10)
years to provide the 8000 employees that Karisma Hotels and Resorts, a Mexican
Resort chain investing some US$900 million in a 4000 room hotel will need as
noted in the article “Mexican
Hotel Chain Announces US$900 Million Investment”, published October 14,
2015 By Alecia Smith-Edward, The Jamaica
Information Service.
Dolphin
cove has also changed hands into Mexican ownership for a reported US$3.7
billion, so we may be looking at an expansion involving the employment of more
Jamaicans as noted in the article “Dolphin
Cove To Retain Identity Under New Mexican Owner”, published Friday November
20, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.
Logistics
and construction will also need a lot of persons, especially to staff the
Spanish Town Free zone, where Gulfray Americas and CNAICO (China National
Automotive Industry International Corporation) plan to set up a US$350 million
dollar Automobile assembly line as reported in my blog article entitled
“Gulfray
Americas and CNAICO Auto Manufacturing plant - Why Spanish Town Free Zone will
benefit Jamaica”.
Then
in constructions, a lot of hotels are being build, such as the Karisma Hotels
and Resorts as well as the US$200 Ocean by H10 Hotels being built in Trelawny
as reported in the article “Spanish
chain spearheads US$200m hotel construction in Trelawny”, published
Tuesday, November 17, 2015 by Javene
skyers, The Jamaica Observer.
Jamaica
is to get 14% equity in the 800 rooms hotel develomement, which may have
include providing the necessary labour to build the hotels as reported in the
article “Jamaicans
Offered 14% In New Spanish Hotel Development”, published Wednesday November
18, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.
By
targeting the unemployed school leavers in the age range 17-29 years old, with
about 50% of them being females, NEO aims to turn some 1 million graduates in
Latin America and the Caribbean into a trained and employable workforce.
The
funding will be used to do the following:
1.
Strengthen 11 training and employment
centres
2.
Train 90 professionals to provide
Special Job training services
This
will be done via teaching methods tailored to young people to help strengthened
their life and coping skills while providing job placement services within
these 100 companies. In turn, these companies will provide the following:
1.
Internship
2.
Job placement opportunities
3.
Training
Hopefully
the NEO will live up to its promise and not become another JEEP Initiative
being announced to win the General Elections, for which the date has yet to be
called as noted in the article “Awaiting
The 17th General Election”, published Sunday November 15, 2015 by Martin
Henry, The Jamaica Gleaner.
After
all, the secret to winning the General Election is still South Coast
Developement such as the Milk River Bath and Spa as document in my blog article
entitled “200
Acre Milk River Hotel & Spa Developement - How Future Plans for Milk River
Residents means South Coast Developement coming”.
If
the NEO comes to pass, these sectors will help to stem unemployment in Jamaica
as well as the acute Brain Drain as many leave to go abroad to seek gainful
employment!
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