MANDEVILLE, Manchester – President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), Christopher Zacca, has called on both government and the private sector to make more opportunities available to Jamaican youth to help move the country forward economically.

According to Zacca, the way out of economic depression and the route to escaping the scourge of crime and violence now increasing its hold on the country, is through entrepreneurship. But first, he said, young people have to be prepared to enter the field of self-employment in order for gains to be maximised.

“Jamaican youths comprise nearly one-third of Jamaica’s total population of over 2.6 million and investing in their development is critical,” Zacca told a recent meeting of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce at the Golf View Hotel.

“Surveys show that approximately one in every three youths in Jamaica’s labour force is unemployed and thus unable to earn a living. the majority of these youths are unemployable and easily fall into the short-term rewards of a life of crime,” said the PSOJ boss.

To circumvent this, the business leader suggested that self-employment be presented as a viable option to the nation’s young people, especially considering the high levels of creativity which they display and the present opportunities in technology.

He proposed that there be a re-examination of government policies which favour traditional rather than self-employment, the provision of training opportunities by private sector firms and the acknowledgment and promotion of entrepreneurs and easier access to loans by self-employed individuals, to help increase employment opportunities among the youth and to foster an environment receptive to self-employment propositions.

“Entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of any economy, and for our nation to become more competitive and our economy far more dynamic, we need many more entrepreneurs,” Zacca said.