Edward Seaga (centre), pro-chancellor of the University of Technology (UTech), greets Lord Bill Morris (right), chancellor of UTech, during yesterday's welcome luncheon held in his honour at the Terra Nova Hotel in St Andrew. Looking on is Carla Seaga. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

Former prime minister and pro-chancellor of the University of Technology (UTech), Edward Seaga, said Jamaica would benefit immensely if more people had access to tertiary-level education.

Speaking yesterday at a welcome luncheon in his honour at the Terra Nova Hotel in St Andrew, Seaga encouraged the education minister to continue to support tertiary education as a solution to the problem of unemployment.

"Tertiary education offers job prospects and in a country like Jamaica where unemployment is also a serious problem any area that offers jobs is critical to the society," he said.

He said that only about .0002 per cent of tertiary-trained individuals in Jamaica were currently unemployed.

"So to all extent and purposes you can say that there is no unemployment among tertiary-educated persons," Seaga stated. "If the society offers more and more of its people the opportunity to be tertiary-trained, then it's going to reduce its unemployment problems, because once people are trained at that level, jobs are far easier to attain."

Not just Jamaica

Seaga argued that this was not only true for Jamaica, but for countries in North America and Europe.

"There is a shortage of skilled trainees in the more industrial world, which is now drawing heavily on the emerging world to fill those spaces and needs. So opportunities exist for tertiary-trained people not only at home but abroad," said Seaga.

Seaga, who is also a distinguished fellow at the University of the West Indies, replaces Blossom O'Meally-Nelson, who held that position for more than 18 years. He was yesterday welcomed by UTech president, Prof Errol Morrison, and other members of the institution's council in his new position.