GSAJ gearing up for a ‘transformative and innovative’ 2025
by Rochelle Clayton/Staff Reporter · The GleanerWESTERN BUREAU:
Gloria Henry, who served an extended stint as president of the Global Services Association of Jamaica (GSAJ), says the organisation is already in high gear in its preparation for next year when it will be seeking to transform its offerings through innovation and increased human capital.
Speaking on Tuesday during a GSAJ end-of-year event at the Montego Bay Free Zone in St James, Henry highlighted the need for “transformation” in the global services sector while noting that the entity is positioning itself to maintain and strengthen its partnerships in the global market.
She further noted that the objective would be realised through the fifth staging of GSAJ’s forum, Outsource2Jamaica, next April, and an intensive training programme to increase human capital in the sectors.
“In my research recently, I see where global services will continue to grow between four and 9.5 per cent per annum. And the US (United States), which is our largest destination, has several billion dollars’ worth of transactions and business that they will be outsourcing in the next five years,” said Henry.
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“So we have to continue to position ourselves strategically in terms of our talent and our capabilities, position ourselves in terms of our ability to accommodate, and position ourselves in terms of our ability to diversify and add value. The companies that are adding value are the ones that are likely to thrive. Outsourcers are not looking for cost savings so much anymore. They want innovation, and they want value,” continued Henry.
“And so we have to put ourselves at the forefront of innovation and our ability to add value to the work that we do,” Henry added.
Digital focus
The GSAJ represents information and communications technology (ICT) firms operating in Jamaica as well as the outsourcing sector. The industry is reportedly positioning itself to become more digitally focused and responsive to its customers. Henry, who is also the event chairperson for Outsource2Jamaica, emphasised that the GSAJ will be sharing its extensive plans for “transformation using disruptive technologies … people power… [and] in the services that we’re offering,” during next April’s event. The event will be held under the theme ‘Driving Excellence’.
“A lot of what we are going to be doing this year and beyond is transformation,” said Henry in further expanding on the GSAJ’s plans. “This year, we are engaging with one of the leading advisory firms to bring buyers to Jamaica. Buyers who will engage and will do business with existing businesses and operators here in Jamaica. So take off your shoes, polish them, shine them up, and get ready to run in 2025 as we’re going to be driving excellence. We’re going to continue to fuel growth. We’re going to continue to diversify, and we’re going to continue to build resilience and strength in the global services sector.”
With approximately 59,000 employees across the local global services sector, Henry said plans are in place to increase this number to 75,000 through a partnership with Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Lawrence, a professional-development trainer. She pointed out that while the GSAJ already partners with HEART/NSTA Trust for human capital, there is need to target other youngsters.
“We know that HEART is our partner [for] human-capital development, but there are 500,000 persons who are outside the labour force. Some of [them] are not equipped, educationally, to be part of the formal labour force, so we went back and reinvented the wheel and connected with someone instrumental in the people-development aspect of the sector. We are reorganising the Global Services Skills Council, and we’re going to work intimately with her to build out a training programme so we can have a pipeline of talent,” said Henry.