Newly inaugurated President of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM), Ron McKay, has called on the government and business leaders to place more focus on vocational education.

“I have heard it and experienced it; Jamaica’s education system needs a radical shake up. It needs to be in better tune with 21st century realities, otherwise this beautiful country runs the risk of falling further behind,” McKay told Thursday night’s AMCHAM ‘Beyond Our Borders’ cocktail and dinner reception at the Knole in Stony Hill, St Andrew.

Indicating that he is a “big believer in vocational education”, McKay said that, if properly embraced, it could do wonders for businesses and the Jamaican economy.

“It is unfair for a nation with so much talent and deep appreciation for hard work, to have so many idle hands,” McKay stated.

“HEART/NTA got to step up its game and get in there and address these issues working in full conjunction with the private sector. Skills, after all, enhance the ability to innovate and take on board new technologies, thus making the difference between all-encompassing growth and growth that leaves huge numbers of the population behind.”

McKay argued that it should come as no surprise to anyone that Germany, Singapore, the United States, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea have among the best vocational education programmes in the world, while also noted among the wealthiest nations on earth.

Generally known as career and technical education (CTE), technical and vocational education and training (TVET) prepares students for specific trades, crafts and careers at various levels, from a trade, a craft, technician, or a high professional practitioner position in career’s such as retail, information technology, engineering, accountancy and nursing.

Guest speaker at the function was newly appointed US ambassador to Jamaica, Luis G Moreno.

The American Chamber of Commerce of Jamaica was established in May, 1986, in Kingston, under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America (COCUSA) and the Association of American Chambers of Commerce of Latin America and the Caribbean (AACCLA).

Former Presidents in recent years include automobile sales tycoon Diana Stewart, former Jamaican Ambassador to the United States Paymaster’s Audrey Marks, CitiBank’s Peter Moses and Jamaica Broilers’ Robert Levy.

— Balford Henry