#KINGSTON, February 3, 2020 — The Global Services Association of Jamaica (GSAJ) is urging young people to equip themselves with the necessary skills and knowledge for the growing outsource market.

“What we believe is important is to develop high-niche skill sets such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, even block-chain technology and the development of such technology for the fintech and logistics markets,”  said GSAJ Vice President, Egbert Von Frankenburg, at a recent JIS Think Tank.

Mr. Von Frankenburg, who is Chief Executive Officer of Knightfox App Design Limited, said that also recommended are courses in management and human resources, software engineering, data management and data analytics.  

Specialisations in areas such as law and accounting are also beneficial.

President of the GSAJ, Gloria Henry, in her remarks, said that the Global Services Skills Board has been working towards identifying the competencies needed and informing the Association of same.

“That Board is responsible for working with a number of persons, institutions and organisations to ensure that we have the correct curriculum that is designed with the kind of flexibility and input from the Association members to represent the interest and the areas of demand within the sector,” she said.

She noted that the Board has since developed a model that will inform the apprenticeship programme.

The initiative, being undertaken by Government, is aimed at equipping some 400 personnel for higher value-added jobs in the Global Services Sector (GSS) over a four-year period.

The objective is to promote the growth and expansion of the sector by building the capacity of existing staff and upskilling them from entry level to supervisory roles.

Members of the GSAJ have been playing their part by facilitating the training of staff and in some cases, covering the cost of certification.

            GSAJ member and Chief Executive Officer of Vertis Technology Solutions Limited, Ryan Sterling, said that the Association wants to ensure that its members can offer world-class service to clients.

            “We are partnering with institutions to let them know what to prepare their students for on a world stage, so that we can offer clients that service, whether it is in technology, human resource or legal services,” he noted.

            The Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ) was rebranded as the GSAJ to make the Association more representative of the diverse services being offered in the GSS.

The 70-member group represents firms involved in business process outsourcing, knowledge process outsourcing, and information technology outsourcing.

PRESS RELEASE by Charnele Henry, JIS, Jan 31, 2020