Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has directed the HEART/NSTA Trust to actively engage communities in identifying and training unemployed youth across Jamaica.

His charge comes in light of recently released data from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), which estimates that approximately 50,000 people are currently unemployed nationwide.

The prime minister said at least 25,000 of the 50,000 individuals of working age who are actively seeking jobs lack formal skills.

He added that young people’s lack of gainful employment represents a “loss to our economy”.

Holness noted that many youth remain in their communities without skills due to limited awareness of available opportunities or scepticism towards existing systems.

“I appeal to the young man and the young woman on the corner who [wants] a job but [doesn’t] know where a job is, or may have gone for a job interview and was not successful and then leaves with the opinion that ‘there is no space for me in this growing economy’… I need you… your country needs you… your economy needs you,” Holness urged.

While Jamaica is experiencing a record-low unemployment rate of 3.3 per cent, the prime minister has emphasised that more must be done to reach youth who remain unskilled.

Consequently, he has instructed HEART to “go out into the communities, put on your training fairs, have specific agents out there doing your reconnaissance and surveillance, and find these youngsters”.

“Get them into your training programmes, offer them stipends and bus fare and lunch money; but more than that, what they need [is] mentoring,” Holness further stated.

He reiterated the support and training being offered through HEART, further encouraging young people in the critical role they play in advancing Jamaica’s economic growth.

Holness was delivering the keynote address during the ground-breaking and project launch for the Caymanas Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) on Tuesday (July 29) along Mandela Highway in Caymanas, St. Catherine.

Spanning 700 acres, the CSEZ is a flagship development under Jamaica’s Global Logistics Hub Initiative, spearheaded by the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) to strengthen the nation’s position as a premier logistics and transhipment hub.

Holness emphasised that the zone will serve as a catalyst for workforce transformation, spurring demand for emerging skills across diverse industries through strategic partnerships with HEART, local universities, and technical institutions.

“We will equip Jamaicans with globally competitive skills in areas such as supply chain management, digital logistics, precision manufacturing, and equipment maintenance. The investment in human capital ensures that our people are not just participants in growth but leaders in innovation and productivity,” he stated.

PAJ chairman Alok Jain announced that phase one of the CSEZ is ready to commence. Covering 200 acres of the 700-acre site, this initial phase will span four years and is projected to cost J$8 billion.