The opposition People's National Party (PNP) has charged that Prime Minister Andrew Holness's statements that Jamaica could be forced to import skilled labour is an admission of his failure.
In a statement on Monday, PNP chairperson Dr Angela Brown Burke noted that Mr. Holness is the Minister in charge of the HEART TRUST/NSTA, which is Jamaica's main skills-training institution.
Noting that he has presided over the restructuring of the entity, she's now charging that this has resulted in the decimation of the workforce-based and community-based training departments.
She also said that recent mismanagement and pillaging have robbed the institution of its capacity to respond to the expected demand.
Dr. Brown Burke noted that the Prime Minister's announcement comes at a time when the government has launched several training programmes, to certify more than 20,000 youth in various skills.
She said she was concerned that the programmes implemented by the government were not able to provide the necessary skilled workers for the local labour force.
According to her, thousands of Jamaicans have completed related training programmes at HEART but have not received their certification.
She said these young people constitute a ready pool of qualified workers and apprentices
Dr. Brown Burke has therefore served notice that any attempt to import workers will be vigorously resisted by the opposition.
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