From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
The Skills Gap: Employers seeking technically proficient workers
By Bahamas Technical & Vocational Institute
Sep 8, 2016 - 11:51:08 PM
President of
The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI), Dr. Robert W. Robertson
is convinced that technical skills are increasingly playing a crucial role in
narrowing the skills gap that may hinder efforts to maintaining a competitive
advantage.
While
recently speaking at the Florida Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) conference
in Orlando Florida, Dr. Robertson said employers are now expecting prospective
employees to demonstrate proficiency in a variety of technical areas.
“To stay competitive,
candidates need to be able to adapt to new tools and trends - such as the
cloud, mobile development and Big Data. In fact, a must-have tech skill when
hiring someone really involves being able to troubleshoot your own technical
issues,” he stated.
Dr.
Robertson was addressing the topic,
Building
Local Talent in a Globally Competitive Economy. The annual SHRM conference attracted
more than 4,000 delegates with the keynote speaker being Dan Rather, Managing
Editor and anchor of the television news magazine,
Dan Rather Reports.
Robertson noted
that the skills gap is a global concern. However, it is a globally competitive
workforce that is key to local economic development. He added that partnerships
between industry and government are important to guiding programs that develop
workforce skills. In addition, Robertson noted the need to utilize
apprenticeships, flexible course modules and online as ways to deliver more
effective training that meets the demands of learners.
During his
presentation, Dr. Robertson pointed to the high youth unemployment rate in The
Bahamas, noting that businesses indicate a shortage of the required basic
competencies within the local workforce.
“Indeed,
there are many jobs going unfilled as employers in many countries simply cannot
find the right skill sets in applicants,” said Dr. Robertson.
According to
the May 2016 Labour Force Survey, "Unemployment among youths (persons ages
15-24) continued to be considerably higher than any other age group, which is
common to most countries.” This is a
significant challenge facing the education sector globally, noted Robertson.
Dr.
Robertson underscored to delegates the importance of a robust post-secondary
technical and vocational training. In the case of The Bahamas, the National
Development Plan has been designed to promote education and lower unemployment
figures. One of the keys to the implementation of the National Development Plan
is BTVI. As an institution, BTVI is seeking to increase its services throughout
the country via online services, adding new job readiness programs and
continuing to deliver affordable excellence.
“I am
excited about our mission and confident that we can assist our students in
learning a trade and earning a living” concluded Robertson.
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