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mands of a globally competitive workforce.'

Chen urged young persons who are finding a challenge in getting jobs in the formal job market to band together, share their skills, knowledge and expertise, and form their own enterprises and access funds from the many agencies out there.

'I also urge the agencies that are charged with helping small businesses to help more young people turn ideas and energies into bankable business plans,' he stated.

'Young person's just need to start doing something, get creative and think outside the box rather than sit around waiting for something to happen.'

He added: 'They must study the market, see what other opportunities there are and branch into areas you never thought about before. Young people have to now start developing that entrepreneurial skill to create enterprises of their own.'

In a letter to the editor of the Gleaner the dated August 3, 2012 a 20-year-old grapples with one of the most severe problems that Jamaica is facing right now - UNEMPLOYMENT. This is a major contributor to crime and the poor economy. As I see it, the problems faced in our world seem to be links in a great chain. However, in my estimation, unemployment seems to be the greatest of all. He wrote that 'Unemployment is something that needs to be revisited by our nation's leaders because it is a sore that is being allowed to spread all over our island. This view is shared by many other young Jamaicans who have a positive mindset but have found themselves in the same situation I have found myself in. How are we going to be able to further educate ourselves if we are not being afforded the opportunity to work and save towards it? The reality is that not all of us will be able to access student loan or will be able to depend on our parents or family members to support us through tertiary education.' Karl Samuda, general secretary of the Jamaica Labour Party believes that 'unemployment is the most difficult problem facing the majority of our people especially in the inner-city areas and in particular the youth'. He said that not being able to care for one's children and putting a shelter over their heads is dehumanising and debilitating for those affected. Mr. Samuda says that the opportunity to provide jobs lies at the basis of the country's development.

Former dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Barry Chavannes, explained that unemployment is a serious problem 'especially because of its chronic nature. In the last two decades there have been not enough jobs to absorb people coming into the labour market. What is worrisome is that it (unemployment) creates a level of indiscipline when it (unemployment) is severe.' While unemployment does not creates crime, its believed that it creates a kind of climate that crime can thrive in. Noel Cowell, lecturer in the Department of Management Studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona, agree that unemployment is a major problem. However, he said 'We should not only be concerned about those who are recorded as unemployed but those who are underemployed.' He argued that unemployment represents a problem of 'worthlessness'. He believes that unemployment breeds a number of problems. As a result, he reckons that fathers are failing to maintain their children because they cannot stand up to their economic responsibilities. 'The fact that there are so many people out of work, we are losing productive cap