Editorial | Building a culture of repair

It is not known if, or by how much, the situation has improved since the announcement of a maintenance policy of the island’s health system.

But, four years ago, the health minister, Christopher Tufton, reported that, of more than 1,800 pieces of equipment assessed by the island’s regional health authorities, only 47 per cent were fully functional. Thirty-nine per cent of the inventory was in reasonably good order or had some life in them, while 15 per cent was totally non-functional.

“If you have half of your equipment not working, or 40 per cent, or even less, it is going to impact the quality of service to those you serve and the impression that people form,” Dr Tufton said.

That problem highlighted by the minister at the time isn’t unique to the health system. In offices and plants, in multiple sectors across Jamaica, it is not uncommon for equipment to be idle for a want of maintenance and nobody to fix them. This often means lost investment, more money being spent on replacement machinery, or the importation of skills to conduct repairs.

But in this crisis also exists the potential for a rapid expansion of technical education and training to close the skills deficit that was implicit in Dr Tufton’s lament, which is also crucial for Jamaica to function in a modern, technologically driven global economy. The greater onus in this regard rests with the HEART/NSTA Trust, the government agency that has primary responsibility for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and the post-high school level.

Despite HEART’s decades of effort, it is widely accepted that Jamaica still lags in technical and other workforce skills. Over six in 10 of the island’s workers have no certifiable skills for the jobs they do.

It recently has expanded access to technical education, introducing digital learning platforms and aligning programmes with labour market demand. In 2023, the government announced the removal of tuition or administrative fees for HEART/NSTA Trust programmes up to Fevel four (associate degree).

GREATER FOCUS

That philosophy sits comfortably with Jamaica’s development needs. But HEART’s efforts should perhaps include greater, or additional, focus issues like the one identified by Dr Tufton: the need for training in the maintenance and repair of specialised equipment. The HEART/NSTA Trust should consider strengthening those programmes.

For instance, technicians should graduate with competencies in areas such as electronics repair; refurbishment of digital devices; appliance diagnostics, solar maintenance; battery management; 3D printing and sustainable manufacturing. These are the skills increasingly demanded by modern economies and essential if Jamaica is to become more competitive.

While many traditional skills remain relevant, Jamaica’s TVET system must also continuously upgrade to meet the times. As industries embrace automation, digital technologies, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing, countries with a skilled technical workforce are better positioned to attract investment, improve productivity, and create sustainable jobs.

Former Director of the Inter-American Centre for Knowledge Development in Vocational Training at the International Labour Organization (ILO)/Cinterfor, Dr Anne Posthuma, speaking at a HEART/NSTA Trust Sub-Regional Summit in 2023, underscored the value of TVET. “A strong TVET system is an effective driver of social and labour inclusion among segments of the population with greater difficulty to access decent work, such as young people, women, people with disabilities and those from lower socio-economic conditions,” she said.

SKILLS SHORTAGES

Indeed, globally, according to the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs 2025 report 63 per cent of employers identify skills shortages as the biggest barrier to business transformation.

Apart from helping to attract investment, provide jobs and contribute to productivity and economic growth, TVET has another potential but generally overlooked value. It can contribute to the reduction of Earth-heating carbon emissions and electronic waste. The more equipment that is refurbished or repaired means that fewer are manufactured, meaning less raw materials used and fuels burnt, and less waste headed for landfills. It also helps to embed a culture of recycling rather than waste.

According to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Global E-waste Monitor 2024, the Caribbean generated 241 million kilogramme of e-waste in 2022, or 7.6 kilogrammes per capita. It is estimated that Jamaica generated 17.8 kilo tonnes of e-waste

While HEART is pivotal to embedding repair, refurbishment, sustainability and circular economy principles across its TVET programmes, municipal corporations, schools, private businesses and community organisations also have roles. The creation of local repair hubs where trainees can gain practical experience while serving their communities helps to catalyse the philosophy of repair and reuse.

Repair Cafés, a concept that originated in the Netherlands in 2009, provide an example of how this concept can work. Volunteers with expertise in areas such as electronics, carpentry, sewing, jewellery, bicycles and household appliances help people repair broken items free of charge. Collectively, these community workshops repair close to 850,000 items annually that would have otherwise ended up in landfills.