SLIDE 1 JAMAICA EMPLOYERS’ FEDERATION CONVENTION 2008
Professor the Hon. Errol Y. St. A. Morrison, OJ MD, PhD, FRCP (Glasg), FACP, FRSM (UK), FRSH (UK)
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- Preparing Graduates for the Workplace
- What employers can expect from graduates
- What employers should ensure that graduates
acquire during training
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Employers have several choices But only two I recommend
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Recruit and train up to 1-2 years Before actual productivity begins
(You are paying an employee in training)
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Enter 2ry/ 3ry institutions and scout for talent
(It’s cheaper and better)
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Why? That the graduate will already know the company and can go directly into productivity
(Hence from day 1 of employment, you are paying a productive employee and not just a trainee)
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Why? That the graduate will have been able to stay the full duration of the course
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The Expected profile of the Graduate
- Wealth of knowledge
- IT Savvy
- Creative
- Analytical
- Innovative
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The Reality?
World bank (2004)….
‘ To cope with the prevailing technology at the workplace, the average worker needs >12 years formal schooling (Jamaica ~ 8.5 years)
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“Jamaica’s non-productivity is not merely the high levels of illiteracy and innumeracy; but rather that there are some 700,000 workers inadequately prepared for their field
….THA Centre of Excellence
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What then must the Employer do?
- Interface with institutions
- Ensure the curriculum is relevant
- Sit on advisory Committees/Boards
- Be Mentors for students
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The employer must not merely anticipate the nature of the Graduate The employer must rather shape the development of the Graduate
SLIDE 13 JEF Conference You owe it to:
- The Student
- The Graduate
- Your Employee
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JEF Conference The Graduate owes much to Secondary and Tertiary education The investment in the education programme yields d 14% to the 2ry graduate ≥ 19% to the 3ry graduate ……. And there is virtually NO unemployment amongst the 3ry graduate (< 0.0002% ) Statin
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Help him/her…..
- And you have a loyal employee, who will
stay and work in your institution
- And you have voluntarily reduced that
staggering figure of > 85% of our graduates migrating within 3 years of graduation
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Help him/her….. ……. And you would have reduced their dependence on the vanishing governmental support at this level Everybody Wins!
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THE UTECH GRADUATE
(Public perception survey 2005
- Work-ready
- Most technologically aware
- 70% satisfactory level amongst employers
- Good work ethics
- Sound academic base
- Competent in the relevant areas
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The UTech Graduate is highly sought after
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Architecture
- Engineering and Computing
- Pharmacy and Medical Technology
- Business Management
…and there is yet more coming
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The late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “…. The greatest need of modern man today, is for him to keep the moral and ethical ends for which he lives, abreast
- f the scientific and technological
means by which he lives”
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“…. And it is in the maintaining of these means for those ends, That Research and Development continues to be the driving engine of life’s endeavour!” …that is still true today! …and the graduates must and will
demonstrate these attributes. Walk Good!
