As the world continues to experience rapid advancements in technology and artificial intelligence and unprecedented shifts in the job market, it becomes even more imperative for us to align our educational curriculum and economic structures to keep pace with the times.

Everyone will defend why his or her academic discipline is important — which is reasonable — but we must consider market trends and what will bring us wealth, given that most of us will never ascend to the realm of the political directorate.

During a recent interview that I conducted with Education Minister Fayval Williams, she highlighted the need for us to recognise the importance of twinning traditional education with technical and vocational education and training (TVET) — both teachers and students need to appreciate that they work hand in hand. But for decades we have scorned TVET, labelling students who pursue this area as less brilliant; consequently, we have now realised that there is an enormous shortage of skilled workers.

A few days ago, the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) revealed that Jamaica’s economy grew by 2.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2023. The main contributing sector was tourism. There were declines in construction, mining and quarrying, and agriculture. While there are variables that can account for the decline in these areas, it cannot be stressed enough that we are too dependent on the tourism sector to keep the economy afloat. We have seen how the novel coronavirus pandemic significantly affected touristic activities.

It is, therefore, timely that Minister Williams has announced the introduction of TVET at the primary school level. There remain several gaps to address within the education system, such as the ongoing teacher compensation issue, lack of resources, and the shortage of specialist teachers; notwithstanding, to prepare for the imminent future and align the workforce to the relevant sustainable development goals, we must start somewhere. It is good to sensitise children to TVET from an early age so that more of them will continue pursuing it at both the secondary and tertiary levels.

This new set-up would also require our high schools to modify their subject selection packages at the end of grade nine. It means, therefore, that students who wish to major in business or the humanities should be able to do a science and/or TVET subject. Truthfully, though, many of them may not immediately appreciate this, but they will eventually see the world from a broader perspective as they mature.

TVET; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); and agriculture are great fields to pursue. There is a shortage of qualified people and the economic gains can be numerous. I know because I have taught hundreds of students and interviewed many professionals. However, think about being skilled in these areas but also being able to communicate in a language other than English. Parlez-vous françai? (Do you speak French?)

French and Spanish are the two main foreign languages taught in Jamaican schools. I speak both and do not have a particular preference for one over the other, but I do possess native-level competence in French. And there are many reasons to become skilled in French.

Whether we like it or not, the reality and harsh truth is that we have always been a people who migrate and emigrate, particularly to the United States of America and the United Kingdom. There is also a good community of Jamaicans in Canada. Since recently, however, many more people, including qualified and competent professionals, are leaving Jamaica en masse. Trends even show that Jamaica is becoming an ageing population; people are having fewer children and thinking more about their economic empowerment. Understandably, it is very hard for the average civil servant to survive in this economy, though things may be a little better for those who actually benefited from the new compensation restructuring.

Canada, the world’s second-largest country after Russia, has stepped up its quest to increase its population by a significant number by 2025. This means that it is making immigration processes and work opportunities easier for immigrants. Canada is certainly attractive to many Jamaicans, especially our young, skilled, and qualified professionals. But an added advantage to have is being able to speak French, as it is one of Canada’s official languages. Many jobs can be accessed once a person is bilingual.

More than 220 million people speak French across the world. It is a major language of international communication. French is the second most widely learnt language after English and the sixth most widely spoken language in the world. It is also the second most widely taught language after English. The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), an international organisation that groups countries having French as a lingua franca, consists of 77 member states and governments.

The ability to speak both French and English is an advantage, when looking for a job, with the many multinational companies which use French as their working language in a vast range of sectors, such as retail, automotive, luxury goods, and aeronautics, among others. Both Canada and France are ranked among the top world economies and attract business people, researchers, and the cream of international students.

France has one of the cheapest higher education tuition rates for students in comparison to other First World countries. Maybe if many parents and students knew this, they would take French seriously. Many French universities are also highly ranked yearly, so a good education is guaranteed.

Additionally, French is both a working language and an official language of the United Nations, the European Union, UNESCO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross, and international courts. Proficiency in French is essential for anyone considering a career in any international organisation.

Locally, there is a shortage of qualified translators and interpreters because French is a rare skill in Jamaica. Let me also add that language pathology is an area that students should consider exploring as well.

I could carry on with other advantages of knowing French, but I will remind our track and field athletes, coaches, and news and sport reporters that the 2024 Summer Olympics will be held in Paris. It is an opportune time to start learning French.

Oneil Madden is interim chair/head of Department of Humanities and lecturer in language(s) and linguistics at Northern Caribbean University. He is also a PhD candidate in applied linguistics at Clermont Auvergne University, France. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or maddenoniel@yahoo.com.