Jamaicans urged to get on board STEM train
Published:Thursday | June 15, 2023 | 12:44 AMAsha Wilks/Gleaner Writer
A CALL has been made for Jamaicans to get aboard the ‘STEM train’ amid the ever-evolving world of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Getting involved is seen as very important given the unpredictability of the world environment that is influenced by the transformative nature of technology, and its impact on the workforce.
This appeal was made by Dr Asburn Pinnock, president of The Mico University College, who was giving remarks at the launch of The Mico STEM Century International Conference 2023 at the institution’s campus along Marescaux Road in Kingston on Tuesday.
Pinnock charged stakeholders and members of the public to ready themselves to be on that train and to ensure that they got a “good seat” as the train was moving at a very fast pace.
He stated that “we’re on the cusp of a game changer for Jamaica”, and that through education, training and development of STEM, the nation’s overall advancement will increase along with an uptick in Jamaica’s international competitiveness and facilitating participation in an increasing technology dynamic global environment.
“Jamaica’s STEM for growth initiative will lubricate the pathway to economic growth by equipping the Jamaican workforce for future facing skills, enabling them to function in an ever evolving and unpredictable world environment,” he said.
The conference will be held at the AC Hotel in Kingston from July 5-6 under the theme ‘Transforming Jamaica Through STEM Education’. A special event dubbed STEMfest will be held at The Mico to close out the conference.
The event aims to foster collaboration between business leaders, policymakers, and educators. It will expose participants to the skills to produce the STEM workforce of the future.
Pinnock said that students islandwide tended to develop a fear of STEM subjects, especially mathematics from an early stage in life, as “approximately 85 per cent of students sitting CSEC do not sit STEM subjects and 90 per cent of those who do excel, eventually seek greener pastures,” he said.
He added that there needed to be a “mindset change” across the nation, an increase in public-private sector partnerships, the training of thousands of teachers to deliver the STEM curriculum at all levels, and the creation of a STEM centre for innovation and research for Jamaica to move much closer towards “STEM island status”.
In relation to the conference, Pinnock said that it would allow individuals and stakeholders to effectively “ventilate, dissect and evaluate” Jamaica’s STEM readiness for the work towards solutions.
“It will be an idea fest facilitating knowledge and best practice sharing and create the road map to achieve our state goal in the shortest possible time while achieving a win-win for all stakeholders,” he said.
Sharing the view of a change in the mindset of people, Marlon Lindsay, chief executive officer of 21stCentEd, stated that this was a critical move which needed to be made to move forward in the 21st century.
“Game changer”
During his remarks, he added that the creation and evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and automations represented “a game changer” for mankind as it has shifted lives as we know it. As such, the approach to educating our people and preparing, young people especially, how to function in this kind of environment while looking for employment needed to change.
“So, our STEM international conference is the collaboration of industry, of the diaspora [and] of our education partners at The Mico and the Ministry of Education to bring minds together to talk about the shift and work that needs to be done,” he said, describing this work as a “heavy lift”, to overcome.
He further argued that education needed to be about skills and talent development as this would in turn cater to workforce development and result in the development of a country’s economy.
“Economic development must start in the classroom, and we must critically rely on education in a way that we have never done before ... and so, the STEM conference is about bringing minds together to transform the future of Jamaica as it is being shaped ... so that we are ready, not just to survive the rest of the 21st century but to thrive for the rest of the 21st century in spite of and specifically because of the influence of artificial intelligence, robotics and automation,” he said.
Delivering the keynote address, education minister Fayval Williams, stated that we must see technology being used within the classrooms across Jamaica.
“I know we have STEM education now in parts [but] it’s not widespread just yet ... our national standards curriculum is STEM-based but we want to elevate it more,” she admitted.
Williams stated that it was important to also engage not only the cohort of new teachers entering the sector, but to assist in reorienting the ones within the system for many years while also helping to enable and empower them to buy into the philosophy of STEM learning “so, that when they go into the classroom, they are confident”.
For more information on the conference to be held in July, contact The Mico University College at 876-782-7831 or via email at micostemconference@gmail.com
To register for the event visit https://spurropen.com/themicostemconf