In seeking to rebuke those who continously criticize the call centre industry, the minister of state in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Alando Terrelonge says Jamaica is a service nation industry and this must be embraced going forward.
Terrelonge was giving the keynote address at the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Global Services Association of Jamaica (GSAJ) first quarterly breakfast, in Montego Bay recently.
He lauded the growing global outsourcing services sector for investing millions of dollars into Jamaica’s economy, and noted that the days of bauxite was over. He said call centres should be embraced as the future.
“Jamaicans, it is time we understand that we are a service industry nation,” he argued, while adding, “The growth and development that we saw in the bauxite era no longer stand as the same strong player that it used to be.”
“We are moving in the realm of the service industry, so we have to take pride in how we treat, teach and train the next generation of workers because the services industry contributes more to our GDP … The services industry is earning billions of dollars and that is a valuable contribution to Jamaica,” Terrelonge contended.
He further said that while students with Caribbean Examinations Council passes find it difficult to gain employment in other areas of the private sector, call centres offer remuneration of $60,000 to $120,000 monthly in basic pay.
“Now I tell you this, there are many people in corporate Jamaica that does not even earn $70,000 per month, so why on earth would you want to classify young Jamaicans going to work in the global services sector as some form of dead-end job or criticise or chastise the sector,” said Terrelonge.
An investigation needs to be done to find the call centres, or other outsourcing entities that pay up to $120,000 monthly without overworking.
1. if there was actually growth and development resulted from buxite in the past, show me the residual today! where have all the benefits gone? in personal private accounts in offshore havens? jamaica in the past exported only the raw buxite and have to turn around and buy the end refined product at almost 3 times the price! simply put, they have to buy their own product for 3 times more, why? because the bugu yaga govt. that the people elect and cherish has no long term vision! all the proceeds from buxite could’ve been used to notch up the operation around buxite where jamaica could’ve been where the raw ore is mined, refined and the end product is produced and exported!
2. I’m starting to get the impression he’s sending a coded message that the young generation of jamaica will soon to be the new resource that replace buxite, and as such, will be exploited just like buxite with nothing to show for it in the end more than big mega mansions on the hilltop with luxury and exotic cars, more $$$ in offshore havens but on the surface the economy is like a skeleton with a “bang-belly” :ngakak when they talk pay attention :travel
Service nation? That is so disrespectful to deem the country. So we are no longer producers?
Start paying Jamaicans better wages. So called outside investors are exploiting Jamaicans while they are taking the money out of the country. If you respect your fellow Jamaicans, stand up for them. Better wages.
Can they not try to push the country out of a service oriented economy to a creation oriented economy. Science and technology is what is driving the globe right now, medicine and pharmaceuticals will always be there. Engineering and robotics, AI and machine learning technology are big drivers right now. Astronomy and space studies is going to become more important. Where is our 25-30 year plan for prosperity and development? We cannot expect to be a competitive economy on the service industry. Why are we not aiming to become the first black superpower nation?