The recent alarm, excitement, concern, and consternation over the influx of Chinese garages and mechanics in Jamaica have brought into sharp focus just how unprepared we are for the demands of a globally competitive workforce. While some celebrate the availability of cheaper labour — which admittedly helps consumers keep more money in their pockets — we must ask ourselves: Are we doing enough to prepare Jamaicans to compete and thrive in their own country?

The current craze over Chinese automotive services highlights the deeper question of whether we are adequately equipping our young people with relevant, world-class technical and vocational skills — especially in areas like automotive technology.

A History of Neglect in TVET

For decades, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has been treated as a second-class option in Jamaica. Parents still shy away from encouraging their children to pursue vocational careers, and successive governments have failed to invest meaningfully in these programmes.

The most serious investments in TVET came in the 1970s with the establishment of New Secondary schools. Since then, HEART/NSTA Trust has supported TVET through projects such as the Technical High School Development Project (up to 2011) and the TVET Rationalization Project (up to 2020). These initiatives aimed to support the 14 technical schools and a few other institutions offering limited TVET exposure.

The Career Advancement Programme (CAP), launched in 2010, was intended to integrate TVET into most high schools. However, since the departure of a former acting permanent secretary from the Ministry of Education, many of these initiatives have slowed down or disappeared altogether.

A particularly disheartening development is the deafening silence around the six highly publicised STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) schools that we were promised. But perhaps the most damaging blow has been the transfer of the Cornwall Automotive Institute (CATI) in Montego Bay to the Jamaica Defence Force in 2020. Formerly located at Flanker, Montego Bay, this institute trained, on average, over 80 automotive personnel annually. Its repurposed use has left a gaping hole in the pipeline of skilled entry-level mechanics in western Jamaica. This training institute is now being used as a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) base, with reduced training output.

Contrast this with China.

What China Is Doing Right

According to the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, the country has established the world’s largest vocational education system. More than 35 million students are enrolled in over 11,000 vocational schools and universities. In recent years, these graduates have made up more than 70 per cent of new hires in China’s modern manufacturing and service industries.

As Kang Bing noted in China Daily (April 21, 2025): “About half of young Chinese are in vocational schools or colleges. As a country boasting the world’s biggest and most comprehensive industrial network, China has good reasons to take vocational education seriously — it needs millions of skilled hands to support its industries.”

China, like Jamaica, struggles with the societal perception that only university education is prestigious. Yet it continues to build a vocational system that supports its industrial dominance.

A National Disgrace — Our Untapped Potential

Jamaica is blessed with naturally gifted hands and minds. Many young Jamaicans have a deep passion for cars, mechanics, and engineering, but their talents are being squandered due to lack of opportunity and foresight.

We remain indebted to the German Government, which gifted us the Jamaican-German Automotive School (JAGAS) in 1976 under the leadership of Prime Minister Michael Manley. JAGAS remains a sought-after institution, but its full potential is stifled without adequate expansion and national support. The closure of its counterpart in Montego Bay is a glaring example of short-sighted leadership.

A Call to Action

Whether it is this Government or the next that forms the Administration after the next general election, the following must be done urgently to safeguard Jamaica’s future:

1) Return the Cornwall Automotive Institute (CATI) in Montego Bay immediately to the full control of HEART/NSTA Trust or build a new facility in St James.

2) Establish modern automotive training centres in key towns across Jamaica. I am aware that there is limited training at Junction, Old Harbour, and Port Maria.

3) Invest in state-of-the-art diagnostic and repair tools to match global standards in automotive servicing.

4) Launch a national marketing campaign to elevate TVET as a pathway to prosperity. Every child is born with unique talents — some are strong in memory, others in logic, and many have skilled hands. Let’s nurture them all.

5) Mandate TVET integration across the entire high school curriculum.

TVET should not be an afterthought or a track for “less academic” students. Every student — regardless of their academic ability — should be exposed to hands-on technical skills, entrepreneurship, and industry-relevant competencies.

6) Incentivise private sector partnerships in TVET delivery.

Create tax breaks or funding incentives for local garages, dealerships, and service centres that take on apprentices and support skills development through HEART/NCTVET-certified programmes.

Raising the quality, visibility, and respect of vocational education in Jamaica is not a luxury, it is an urgent economic necessity. A strong TVET system will empower our young people to enjoy meaningful careers, contribute to national growth, and feel confident in their skills. Let us not wait for another wake-up call.

Denworth Finnikin is a university lecturer and former manager of Jamaican- German Automotive School (JAGAS). Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or denworth.finnikin@gmail.com.

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has continued to be stigmatised as less than traditional education.

The current craze over Chinese automotive services highlights the deeper issue of whether we are adequately equipping our young people with relevant, world-class technical and vocational skills..