he Middle Managers Conference 2023 held at the Jamaica Pegasus brought out many renowned experts in their field and once again exhibited why it is the leading forum of its kind.
Put on by Dr Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd, it continues to impart remarkable insights for managers and provides essential tools for the execution of their duties and responsibilities.
This year Coke-Lloyd focused attention on the shortage of skilled labour in Jamaica and what must be done about it.
Below is Coke-Lloyd’s address:
I speak this morning with a lot of hope and optimism but with some amount of sadness.
Why… because the current skilled labour shortage should not be a shock as this was spoken of on this very platform for a number of years. The issues were masked by a long-term no growth sluggish economy, inadequate data collection and analysis and confusion between the number of unemployed and employable persons.
The opportunity now exists to expand our economy through intense targeted training, revised school and tertiary curricula, importation of specific skill sets, knowledge transfer and a reexamination at what will make a wholesome society. There is unnecessary concern and panic regarding the importation of labour as most growing, successful and forward-looking economies adopt this approach.
Our own people migrate and are accepted elsewhere so we can be strategic in injecting new thinking, skills and innovation. Many employers are unable to attract, retain and develop the required talent so we therefore need a bridging mechanism at this time.
This 13th Middle Managers conference is designed to prepare the managers for the future given the cultural, global, economic and social shocks being experienced.
The advancement of AI also calls for new thinking, reorganization of our businesses, retraining of teams, and continuous evaluation and retirement of obsolete systems and processes. We are in an exciting but time-sensitive period of our lives where we are called even more so now to execute our vision with courage and authenticity in order to maintain relevance.
We remain grateful to you and your organizations for partnering with MYMC in this Middle Managers Leadership Conference because we know you have choices. Without our esteemed presenters representing most continents, this would not have been possible so we are forever indebted and honoured that you have agreed to share your expertise and experience with searching and forward-thinking leaders.
We are also thankful to our sponsors for their continuous support and belief in our products and services. Thank you to the media who recognize the need to share our information and work for the development of leaders.
I say a big thank you to the MYMC team for their unwavering and tireless commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction which has resulted in your presence today. Not many conferences or institutions make it to 13 years so we thank God for his ever-present guidance and favour over these years. Every year I say this is the last year but He speaks another language.
Please use this as your opportunity to meet new people, network, share, exchange, absorb, question, influence, delegate, unwind, recharge, recalibrate and prepare to return to your organization inspired to move mountains.
Have a great conference ladies and gentlemen.
Sourced: https://our.today/jacqueline-coke-lloyd-jamaicas-skilled-labour-shortage-should-not-be-a-shock/
