Youth urged to look online for job opportunities

Sheena Gayle, Gleaner Writer

Western Bureau:Fabio Pittaluga, the senior social development specialist at the World Bank, says the new platform for employment is online. He is encouraging youth to take advantage of alternative employment opportunities through the use of technology.

"I do think that job opportunities based online can make a dent in unemployment in Jamaica," said Pittaluga, who was addressing a largely youthful audience at last week's I Believe Youth Consultative County Conference for the County of Cornwall, which was staged at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James.

Pittaluga added that following the Digital Jam 2.0 technology competition, which was staged in June, some 4,400 persons had registered for work online. The competition was a collaboration between the World Bank and the Ministry of Youth and Culture.

"The demand is there, and it is a question of making it happen," said Pittaluga. "So we are working on trying to bring it to scale and really provide a lot more opportunities for people other than those who came to Digital Jam.

"There is a lot of unbanked potential and creativity in Jamaica among the nation's youth, and whatever we can do at the bank to make it materialise and generate an income or create jobs, we are going to be there," added Pittaluga.

The I Believe Initiative, conceptualised by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, is a strategic partnership campaign, which is designed to inspire and motivate Jamaicans to believe in their innate potential and to contribute to the building of a prosperous nation.

According to Sir Patrick, the nation's youth have the capacity to power Jamaica forward in the next 50 years to become a progressive and productive nation.

"There can be no redundancy in the action to support you as you try to carve out a future for yourself and for this country," Sir Patrick told the youngsters.

"It is very important that our young people believe in and understand their potential to achieve success in their personal development. It is important that our youth become aware of the need for advancement of their family, community, and country."