THE Jamaica Employers’ Federation on Tuesday expressed concern about the lack of skilled workers to satisfy the needs of major local companies.

Herbert Lewis, president of the JEF, citing the planned US$450-million (J$27 billion) expansion programme by Jamalco, said approximately 1,500 workers, skilled in machinery, fabricating and welding, were needed, but “these persons are not readily available to them”.

Lewis was addressing the launch of the federation’s 22nd convention. The 2004 convention, under the theme “Going Global, Transforming Local”, is scheduled for May 20 to 23 at the Renaissance Jamaica Grande Hotel in Ocho Rios.

“For although, according to information available to me, hundreds of persons congregate at their gates on a daily basis, the skill level that is required is not available among those who are seeking employment,” Lewis later told the Observer.

“I personally see this country securing investments in a number of areas, and unless we can produce the skills we require here then we are going to lose jobs to our Caribbean partners, particularly at this time when the CSME (Caribbean Single Market and Economy). is coming,” said Lewis.

Losing jobs to other islands, he said, would be an unfortunate situation, “especially when we see the country running at a 16 per cent unemployment rate”.

Labour and social security minister, Horace Dalley, who was guest speaker at the launch, shared Lewis’ concerns and agreed that focus should be placed on preparing the nation for the skills that are needed to compete in the global marketplace.

“We need to focus on the skills that the country needs because if we can’t find the appropriate skills and qualification, we’ll have to import… investors will not sit and wait…,” the minister said.

In the meantime, Dalley said the government felt it was time that the respective players sign off on the proposed flexitime arrangement.

“If we are to go global, then we must transform our local labour market to be adaptable to meeting the challenges of global competitiveness,” he said. Several of the island’s labour laws, he added, impacted on the flexitime arrangements, which were presently before the Labour Advisory Committee.