Editorial
Training for theFuture
The news from overseas these days is filledwith a preponderance of the rape and murder of children, by trustingadults such as friends, family members, childcare providers, theClergy, or strangers.
While such heinous crimes are not wildlyreported here, Cayman has experienced alarming increases in statisticsin other areas related to children. The rapidly increasing rateof divorces and separations here in Cayman is quickly creatinga new generation of "families" made up predominantlyof single mothers, and in some cases, fathers.
Today the pressure put on families to keepup with the Jones is substantial. The focus for many young familieswas for the "bigger than yours" houses, luxury carsand countless other modern wants instead of needs. Unfortunately,the cost of all of these extended luxuries has exceeded the availabilityof employment opportunities and families are left struggling topay high mortgages or car loans when the cost of living becomesburdensome.
The prudence exercised by the 'older heads'has been disemboweled in favour of the corporate approaches ofNorth America.
One only has to look at what this glossand television soaps lifestyles have done to bring grief to manythese days. One must recognise that there is a real opportunitylooming with the acquiesce of partnership between Government andthe financial industry players who have found a safe haven here.
To educate young people on the need forproper training that will enable them to pursue lucrative careerswhich would enable them to seek the finer things in life or getby when financial roadblocks appear, is where government's responsibilityto Caymanians should begin.
One place to start is at the Community Collegeof the Cayman Islands. What an ideal opportunity for a benefactor(s)to fund the establishment of the extension of the institutionfrom the two-year associates curriculum to that of a four yearBachelor's Degree through 'Cayman University'.
This alone will produce an incredible amountof much-needed spending locally. And the country will have thebenefit of its citizens training for skills they can use righthere.
Only about three months ago, the Ministerof Labour, the Hon. Roy Bodden and his Director of the EmploymentResource Centre, Mr. Walling Whittaker, warned during a pressconference that Caymanians must become trained to fill many ofthe jobs that are becoming available; not only work permit renewalsbut industries which are continuing to grow like the IT and Communicationsindustries.
With the waning of available jobs, whichwere previously abundant in the international business industry,there are intelligent kids who may have to decide whether or notthey should be continuing on to get their "A" levelsor settle for an Associate Degree.
In many developed countries, the choiceof hands-on technical studies has been the preference becausethe studies being addressed allowed for the student to hold ajob during the days and study in the evening.
This is as necessary an expense as Government'sdecision to spend $1.3 million so that the downtown port can movecargo at night instead of during the days when cruise ships arein port.
Training Caymanians for now and the futureshould begin during the last year at the Primary School level.Therefore, when children enter Junior High, they would then havesome indication of their focus of a career for their future gainfuloccupation.
There is another advantage. Children whoare trained early about the necessity of becoming qualified, willbe influenced that they must be able to perform well in the vocationof their choice so that they could compete in the job market.
With such a competitive edge, these childrenwill be well on their way to fiscal responsibility. Then, thepressures put on young families will not outweigh the prudenceand financial acumen gained through training early on in theireducation.