Jamaica industry minister calls for increase in worker productivity

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, has called for an increase in the productivity index, so that the economy can remain on the growth path.

Delivering the keynote address at the opening of a Middle Managers Conference at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston today (May 7), the Minister emphasised that as employment increases, production must keep pace with that growth, so that citizens can access improved services.

“Even as we create more jobs, we must focus on incremental increases in worker productivity,” Mr. Shaw told the audience, adding that training of workers must also be sped up.

He told the participants that with only 15 per cent of tertiary-trained persons in the workforce, 18 per cent with technical qualifications, and the remaining 67 per cent having no training and certification, “every opportunity that you get as middle managers to rescue somebody, motivate that person”.

The Minister emphasised that “engaged employees” are essential to realising the outcomes that “our businesses are working towards”, adding that the evolution of transformational leadership must be based on a vision shared by all parties within any entity.

He also called for a paradigm shift in education and training, emphasising that this can only be achieved through increased dialogue with sector stakeholders to make their inputs.

“In order to keep up with the competitive global market, companies must attract the best employees. We have to become more aggressive in signalling our offerings to employees, in terms of careful selection procedures, new and exciting roles, competitive salaries, attractive benefits, and a good working environment,” Mr. Shaw said.

The conference aims to address the needs of organisations and middle managers’ significant role in adding value to the entities, under the theme ‘Building and Unleashing Breakthrough Leadership’.

Mr. Shaw said the conference is a call to action to achieve the best outcomes possible, and to place middle managers at the centre of organisations, to increase “productivity, economic growth and development”.