Wilson targets teenagers for construction industry
LITTLE LONDON, Westmoreland – Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Western Morland Wilson has targeted teenagers — who will soon graduate from high schools — for training and certification to work in the booming construction industry.
“What I have found so far is that we don’t have a lot of people who are interested… they don’t see it necessary to work [in the construction industry] because they can just scam and get their house. They don’t have to get into carpentry and masonry, they don’t have to get any skills,” the first-time MP argued.
The efforts by Wilson to attract the youth in his constituency to the construction sector comes in the wake of Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s recent revelation of a shortage of construction workers in Jamaica.
To meet the demand, Holness hinted at the possible importation of labour to satisfy the local demand, if trained workers can’t be supplied locally.
“We have placed HEART on alert… that we are going to have to find these people, put them in a streamlined mechanism to get them trained and provide them very quickly. If we don’t do that, then there can be no complaint if we have to import labour into the country. And we are seeing an increase in requests for labour, particularly skilled labour, in the country,” the prime minister stated.
As a result of failed attempts to get adults in the parish trained for the construction sector, Wilson, who said he is currently in the process of sending out letters to parents, is hoping to have between 300 and 400 young people trained and certified in that field by the HEART/NSTA Trust annually.
Wilson said the aim is to capture the cohort of young people who are leaving high school and are not moving on to tertiary institutions or to be a part of the labour market.
He is hoping that these young people will take up the training offer.
“We are not getting the droves of people. So, what I am doing, the two high schools that I have (Little London and Grange Hill), I am sending letters to the parents to ask them if they would like for their child to be a part of the programme in which HEART comes in and does the training,” stated Wilson.
With a shortage of hotel workers also, Wilson is hoping to offer certified hospitality training courses that will equip young people to take up jobs in the tourism industry.