Opposition Spokesperson on Education, Dr Angela Brown Burke has posited that a radical shift must be employed in Jamaica’s current education curriculum.

This statement comes after Prime Minister Holness indicated that there is a looming local labor shortage especially in construction.

Prime Minister Holness underscored that there are many unemployed people but not all of them are seeking to be part of the labor force.

He further notes that the government is looking to implement a mandatory national service for training young Jamaicans, especially young men, who are primarily the victims of crime but are also the main perpetrators.

Brown Burke alluded that the current curriculum programs do not cater to the needs of students nor the labor market.

As such, drastic changes must be made for students to compete on a global scale.

“Quite frankly, it does not cater to the needs of the students who are there and what educating someone looks like in 2022 should like. We need to take a step back and we need a radical shift and change in how we approach teaching and learning in our schools ” Brown-Burke explained.

Brown Burke further compounded her stance by noting that the idea of importing skilled workers should not be used as a last resort, instead the Government should seek to train the island’s youth.

“There are individuals who left the high school with very little to work on but made the sacrifice, went out and did the work and are in a position that they could qualify, and I am suggesting that we start there. I am not suggesting that if in the end there is that shortage, that you would cut off your nose or slice the face, that’s not what I am saying; This attitude to importing workers and sometimes they are not even skilled laborers, sometimes these are workers that are easily found in Jamaica ” Brown Burke explained.