Letter: Higher education and employment in Grenada
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| Published on Monday, June 29, 2009 |
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Dear Sir:
30 years ago or thereabouts St George's University (SGU) was established by an American enterprise, in Grenada, concentrating on Medical and Veterinary Sciences. In recent years it has expanded its range of studies into other areas including degrees relating to business and information technology. Were SGU to establish engineering courses then the down-stream benefit would eventually be more manufacturing and other industry in Grenada.
For many years bright students have left Grenada to study abroad but rather than returning have been attracted to stay away by enticing jobs in developed countries. Now students from SGU need positions working in Grenada when they graduate... but...
Grenada has a high unemployment rate. One of the reasons for lack of employment can be a lack of employers! I strongly suspect that this is the case in Grenada. A number of potential employers have been lost to Grenada over the years - a proportion of those bright students who went away to study and have not returned.
Now that there are more local graduates the burning question is whether there will be work for them. Some will be enterprising and establish their own businesses - but will there be customers and clients for them ?
There needs to be fore-thought at the political level. Both existing business and Government need to look seriously at buying Grenada-made.
There is a need for more industry in Grenada - both in manufacturing and the service sector. At Alert::Communications we have an interest in IT - in the software area in particular. Software IT does not require the importation of materials for the making of software products. Its principal input is brain-power. The output is software. Software can be used by businesses and Government in Grenada and also be exported to other Island in the Caribbean and elsewhere in the world.
The best basis for any industry, in particular a new industry is its home market - whether it's tourism, software, agriculture or the manufacture of electronic products.
If the Government in Grenada has a strong desire to create employment in Grenada then its part in that task is not to create artificial work but to adjust the business climate to enable businesses to function in a continuous manner and to advertise its needs in terms of purchasing in order that local firms can compete with others on an equitable basis.
When the largest purchaser in Grenada takes local producers seriously into consideration, in its purchasing arrangements, local firms can grow, take on new graduates and Grenada will be better for it. A balance has to be struck between Government getting the best deal overseas and making local purchases to enhance employment in Grenada. Should Government thinking be - they're doing it that way in St Lucia and they bought the system from a Canadian company - we'll buy one of those - or should it be thinking - can we do something similar here built with local talent?
Are the Utility companies, Statutory Bodies and other large business entities thinking seriously about letting local contracts for the supply of IT services? In the end a higher level of employment and standard of living will undoubtedly benefit those businesses in the long-term. By investing in local product now, the pay-off will come. Of course, local product has to come in at pretty competitive prices - we are not suggesting subsidies or payment at inflated prices but are suggesting policies which would enable the stable development of new and expanding local enterprises with associated employment
David L Evans Ph D | | | | Reads : 1612 | | | |
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