MONTEGO BAY, St James — State minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information Alando Terrelonge is urging the private sector to not turn its back on prospective employees who are from a perceived undesirable address.

“I want to make this special appeal to persons in the private sector — do not turn your doors on youngsters because of their civic address. Do not determine that this person is not the right fit for your employment because of where they live, where they are coming from,” he appealed.

Terrelonge was addressing a recent Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica Quarterly Breakfast Forum, at Grand-A-View Restaurant and Event Place in Montego Bay, St James.

According to the state minister, more young people are making themselves employable, which, he said, is in direct correlation with the fall in unemployment in the island.

He told the gathering that in 2013 the country’s unemployment rate was about 16 per cent, noting that the figure now stands at 7.2 per cent.

But, in spite of this, he said there is a challenge as individuals are claiming they are not being offered jobs because of where they reside.

“One of the problems I have experienced as state minister with responsibility for youth is that some young persons often indicated, ‘But, minister, we have gone to the requisite schools; we have done the requisite programmes; we have our certifications; we are qualified, which makes us employable, but persons in the private sector, they still stigmatise us because of our civic address’,” he related.

Terrelonge, who is also an attorney-at-law and was born in the small community of Grants Pen, St Andrew, used himself as an example, pointing out that he would not be where he is today if he had been judged based on his address.

“If I had used that civic address, or if persons had stigmatised me because of my civic address or because of where I was born, then I would not be the man standing in front of you,” he stated, adding that “the youth of Jamaica require nothing more than your belief in them, because they already believe in themselves and [are] in need of the opportunity to grow — an opportunity to ensure that their dreams come to life”.

“So, as we are in Montego Bay, do not say to someone, ‘Well, this résumé does not look too good because this address here says Flanker, or this address here says Norwood’. No, ladies and gentlemen, give that individual the interview and allow them to express themselves and allow them to convince you that they are, in fact, trainable, employable and that they will make a difference in the growth and prosperity of your business also,” the state minister argued.