Minister of State in the Ministry of

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Floyd Green, has encouraged

tertiary-level students receiving scholarships from the Betting, Gaming and

Lotteries Commission (BGLC) to consider entrepreneurship as a viable career option.

Speaking at the Commission’s Education Fund ‘Meet and Greet’, at the Mona Visitors’ Lodge, the Minister told the students to “study not to only become an employee, but to also try to become an employer”.

“If you want real wealth, it’s [all] about

the business plan that you have crafted, work out a way to solve a problem that

can be monetised,” he added.

The State Minister told them that

agriculture is a lucrative area to be considered, noting that for one area of

the field, Jamaican farmers only supply 20 per cent of the goat that is needed

for local consumption, and that the hotel sector’s demand for vegetables and

fruits is $40 billion.

“This is one area that you can easily make

100 and 200 per cent profit, because once there are people, they will always

need a supply,” he said.

The Minister also encouraged the students

to master their area of study, and to also develop soft skills while

undertaking their formal education.

“In the world we live, it is becoming less important what you study and more important the principles that you grasp in terms of being able to think creatively, solving problems,  being flexible and being able to communicate effectively. Those are the things that are even more important than the course of study,” he argued.

“The only way we will move Jamaica forward is by investing in our people, and the greatest investment is providing the opportunity for persons to fulfil their greatest potential,” he said.

The BGLC’s scholarship programme has

provided more than $50 million in funding to tertiary students since its launch

in 2014.