Dear Editor,
For some time now, I have been wondering if I am now myopic or is it that I am now seeing the realities of life in Antigua & Barbuda.
According to how things are unfolding in this beautiful country of ours, I am of the view that the future does not look too bright for us, the young people. Throughout the country, jobs are very difficult to get.
Ironically, the govt of the day has been advocating to young people, that we should educate ourselves, so later on in life, we are able to stand on solid ground to get a good job and simultaneously,m make an invaluable contribution to our wellbeing of ourselves, our families & our country..
Certainly, I will give the Gov’t thumbs up for offering scholarships and setting up institutions like the Harrison’s Centre, ABITT & the University of WI Five Islands campus as conduits to enhance our personal development. In addition, I also welcome the sentiments of our PM that ” every household should strive to have atleast one person with a tertiary level education, preferably a degree “.
Having said that, I find it extremely heartbreaking & very unfortunate that when we, as young people complete our studies and are now ready to enter the work environment, many of us are unable to get a job.
Presently, I am one of the many young university graduates seeking employment. I graduated from university almost a year ago & decided to return home to render 3 services:
1. To help take care of my elderly parents
2. To give back to the country of my birth.
3. To acquire a descent job to enjoy & provide comfort to my immediate family.
Upon my return, I submitted my applications to several establishments ( private & public ) but I’ve been told that I am over qualified or the establishment is saturated hence, there are no vacancies.
Be that as it may , at this point frustration is now creeping in. I am beginning to feel like a second class citizen in my own country. I keep asking myself, why is it so difficult for me to get a job in the country where I was born…? Is it that the Gov’t & the cooperate citizens do not really care about us, the young people?
Presently, the security bodies such as the police, the defence force, ONDCP & the Attorney general’s office are all collaborating & spending time brainstorming as to what could be causing the nation’s youths to resort to criminal activities, drugs & becoming victims of mental issues such scrizophenia, depression etc.
Ofcourse, as a young ambitious person, I do not subscribe to practices of immortality however, I will admit that according to my present experience, I am now understanding why some of us, as young people resort to such ill practices.
By all means, Entrepreneurship may be the way to go. But acquiring ‘ work experience ‘ usually creates a spring board towards being an effective entrepreneur. In addition, some disciplines like medicine, piloting do not allow us to immediately establish our own business.
A US president once said that “It is not what the country can do for you but what you can do for your country “.
I am sure that many of us would like to make an invaluable contribution to our country. However, the Gov’t & cooperate citizens have to play their part. Young people are expecting openings to be created for them. If these openings are not created, then let us not forget that the devil will always find work for the hands & minds of the idle youths to do, if they are not constructively engaged.
Alex
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Wow… very profound & timely! The author of this letter left no stones unturned.
The unqualified are employed in 2 & 3 jobs because of political affiliations while the qualified are struggling to be employed ?
The great Short Shirt said in one of his song if there is honey in the rock let everyone get a piece of that rock.
This does not speak well for a country that is deemed to be an Economic Powerhouse!
Some persons may not agree with the author or may not have anything to say until the issue reaches home to their front door.
Our well known Troy was a clear example with his experience with his mother at SLBMC… His voice was never heard prior to the incident. During & after the incident his voice was the loudest.
We need to be empathetic & let our voice be heard whenever justice should prevail, whether it affects you or someone else.
I wish you the best of luck!
I applaud this person for speaking out. The governing bodies really need to pay attention. Not only will idle hands become the devil’s playground but it also discourages the rising youth from pursuing more. Plus those that have gotten advanced education will eventually leave the country leading to brain drain. Perhaps it’s time to allow younger minds to infiltrate the upper echelons of our country so that we can stop doing what we’ve always done, because the results don’t seem to be moving the residents of the country forward.
Those who are 62 is time for pension ought to vacate and make room for younger minds to take the mantle in the work force
I agree with D
Alex, are you personally or professionally associated with anyone whose surname carries weight in Antigua & Barbuda? I am not saying you should compromise or resort to brown nosing to get ahead, but knowing persons whose bark is as effective as their bite is an advantage.
Are you able to diversify your portfolio? Commonality is redundant in these times (Ai/the robots are coming) one cannot be a one trick pony; one must be able to adapt and branch out of their field of study or expertise to survive and thrive. I know CPAs who are security experts and Doctors who moonlight as general building contractors and most are not experts in their alternate field however, they familiarize and befriend work/tradesmen who are.
Never underestimate the power of charisma, do you possess this trait? At times charisma and confidence are all one needs, if you don’t believe me Google Allen Stanford or Anna Sorokin or even Jussie Smollett, none of them could have achieved what they did without the mentioned character traits. I commend you on achieving higher learning, but in this world, the real world, you will have to learn to swim with the sharks and how to read a room filled with vultures and don’t forget to have fun while doing so.
So let me get this straight.
The government is suppose to fund your education right up to college with scholarships etc. Then have a job waiting for you when you get back?? Because you are educated?
Sir, the world is a competitive place. You must now “COMPETE” for resources (Money).
What organisations are you a part of? Does anyone know you in the corporate world from the work you’ve been doing with NGOs (e.g Lions Club, Jayceeys, etc)
What activities did you engage in on your summer break? Playing Mas, Fetes? Did you identify potential places of interest and gave your services in exchange for building competency and networking with the corporate world?
The government of this country or anyone other than your parents owe you nothing. Get out there and get competitive, then win.
Just another perspective. God Speed.
I read your article with some degree of empathy, albeit still a bit bemused. I say that because as a college educated citizen, you have not taken into consideration the population of Antigua and the ratio of school graduates on an annual basis.
There is no way that jobs will be readily available an ongoing basis because of the finite size of our population.
I am of the view that profession are to be encouraged based on supply-and-demand to prevent a glut in job market pool.
At a very young age, I chose a profession which I thought could be self sustained, not glamorous, even though I created glamor for many over the years.
I started out as a school teacher but wasn’t convinced that was where I belonged.
I attended Lehman (CUNY) studied Business, minored in Psyche, but pursued Cosmetology diploma simply because I was of the view at that time, I could chart my own course.
I returned to Antigua and opened a salon employing six members of staff. I did so for four years after which I thought I had outgrown the market there. The rest is history.
Despite my doing well in that profession there, I got a lot of backlash from people who thought I could have done something else. Antiguan judge you by your career choice. (A long story)
The point I’m attempting to make is that unless there is a novel idea for a profession is being introduced, there will always be a limited supply of job opportunities in Antigua. Just think about the many graduants this year alone in June, 2024.
What will they do? A small percentage of them will continue their education on a tertiary level, some will turn to a vocation, some will migrate to the US whilst many of them will be jobless.
Not knowing what your qualifications will allow, I would still suggest that you team up with a few like-minded individuals to brainstorm ideas that you all can work on together to become entrepreneurs in our country. Be the change you wish to see.
If you are paying attention, you will observe that the people who are migrating to Antigua are usually self sufficient. They’re opening up their own little businesses and are taking matters into their own hands.
If you continue to wallow in your state of mind, you’re only creating the reason for mental health challenges as unwarranted depression will at in.
Take matters into your hands as you search for a secured opportunity to fend for yourself.
Well said sir
Thanks, I try.
DR, you clearly haven’t heard the locals complaining bitterly about all the road blocks to small entrepreneurship in Antigua. There are only so many Antiguans with tertiary education and they should be able to find employment there! It’s easy for you to say when you left because of challenges. You aren’t here to see people who are still counting on their fingers getting big position over the qualified, so please give Alex a break!
Sometimes we have to start in the volunteer section of society for positive things to happen in our lives financially.
There is a institution in Antigua and Barbuda name National Disaster Service (NODS) that get funding from overseas doners to train us in disaster management, after training you will receive a certificate that Will boost your CV tremendously.
NODS also train us to become Disaster Management Instructors, a disaster management instructor get to travel overseas to perform workshop in other countries, why are our young people not focus enough to grab these opportunities?
NODS Antigua and Barbuda are responsible for St Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, Montserrat. BVI, and St Maarten, I am afraid if our people do not show more interest and get the necessary training we may loose the position to another Island.
Most of the times we only hear negative and fake news about NODS, why not share the positive side of the institution so our peoples mindset will change towards the institution, and take advantage of these opportunities?
@wake up and smell the coffee you sould like an idiot.Never this person was saying he was depending of Government for a job. You dunce people just seem to be so politically minded.Read the who content of the message and don’t pick a choose to satisfy your stupid mentality.
Hi Alex,
Here’s the real reason why you (and many other Antiguans) feel like “second class citizens” in the country – prepare yourself:
At present, 1% of the elites; uber rich; the government and their cronies; including nepotism and the self-enriched controls Antigua & Barbuda.
Then there’s the 4% of the ABLP acolytes and Gastonites (people like Dave Ray, Tenman and their ilk) that promotes the 1%, come what may to persuade the 90% who are not critical thinkers.
Leaving the 5% of us CRITICAL THINKERS trying our best to WAKE-UP the 90%.
I HOPE THIS HELPS CLARIFY MATTERS ALEX 👍🏾
Brixtonian thinking out of the box 🗃 as always!
if you can afford to, do some volunteer work
don’t think too longingly about the response letters
keep communicative with friends and your parents, I imagine that you live at home
as for the many Alexs who now have to compete within the working remotely employment era, do not quit, do not resort to crime and do not fall victim to the happy grass or happy pills
I feel your pain and as a young person who is enduring this it is even worse and disheartening to realize that you are not able to have opportunities in your own country while others are who are nonnationals have more priority over the nationals. People’s bias and politics also continue to play a role in successful job opportunities in Antigua.
As a person with a bachelors and masters in social work I decided to come back home to give back and make a contribution to the youths of my beautiful Antigua and Barbuda and to be told to my face by the PS of the Ministry of Education and I quote “Your resume and qualifications are exceptional and you will not get push back on that, but the only thing you will get push back on is the reason why you loc up your hair”. As a Rastafarian I have worked in the UNITED STATES Federal Government, I have worked in organizations to mentor youths, I have worked in the Prison facilities to provide social work assistance to inmates and conducted a life skills course to inmates. I have worked as a Federal Police Officer with my locs and now I am back in the US working for the Federal Government in a hospital and never once anyone asked me why I loc up my hair or judged me on the reason why I loc up my hair. I was critiqued on my qualifications and my competency to perform the job I was applying for.
It is sad to that despite the fact that my ancestors slave masters and colonialist have left Antigua and Barbuda, the ideologies and actions of disenfranchising your own black people from equal achievement still lay with the older Caribbean people and also some young middle age Caribbean people. As black people many of us are like crab in a barrel making every attempt to hold each other back when many of us come with good intentions. As I work here in the US in this Federal Institution it is a white man who is advocating for me to be hired for a bigger position and I wrap my locs with a turban and he sees past that, but in Antigua and Barbuda it’s people of my own skin colour who make every attempt to hold me back from obtaining employment to initiate good for the youths.
I once worked at the Boys Training School when I first came back to Antigua in 2016 and to see how the director who ran the place, how she mistreated those boys and ran the place like her own facility with no initiatives to rehabilitate those young men. When I came to the facility I was implementing play therapy to help the young men and my job was not a counselor, but I felt it was necessary to implement what I have learned to assist those young boys. Many of those young boys trusted me and I built strong relationships with them to show them someone truly cared about them and saw better in them. Still to this day if they see me on the road they hail me up and give me respect and always ask them how are they doing and still tell them they can do better in life.
Antiguans need to get rid of the old head with colonial old ways and replace them with younger people who have better interest for the country and the young nationals of this country. Many of those people in hiring positions are an extension of our slave masters and colonialist and it is time for change.
I also feel it is a need for many young Antiguans to get certifications in certain fields, where you can apply your skills to a trade instead of begging for work because people who are hiring will make or break you, but if you have a trade skill you are good at you can apply that to society. If you are a good mechanic, plumber, or a mason etc.., you do jobs and advertise your skills to people and if you are good at your trade then other people will endorse you and recommend you to others to the point you will have so much work you will need to employ help. If you own a backhoe and clear lands and do the work very well and you are reliable you will always have work. If COVID didn’t teach people anything is that everyone with degree working in offices were out of work while the contractors were the ones being sent to work during the lock down. Stop wasting money on big universities that do not apply anything to prepare you for life and assist you to be employed when you leave and get certifications in trade work. I have a masters and because I am in different position in life I didn’t pay for my schooling, but if I was physically able I would have gotten a certification in plumbing or electrical work or some sort of trade that is in demand in Antigua. Once you are a master of your trade no one can hold you back from eating or being successful.
The more things change, the more they remain the same.
The “bottle_neck” syndrome is fast becoming more pressurised, in the Nation; and, once this is combined with such things, as the #check_U_Minister and the #foolish_pride syndromes, the influx of IMMIGRANTS who’re natural born and bred hustlers; many will be in for a rough ride, to weather the impending storm of high unemployment, especially, for those with higher education.
The Nation business community(public or private) is not set up to handle such a storm.
As all are aware, yet, many are failing to admit, the public sector is not only bloated, it’s out of control like the #Blob.
Alex, “tek wah U cyan get, ‘til U get wah U want!” No mek #foolish_pride turn you into a psyche case!
Jumbee_Picknee aka Ras Smood
De’ole Dutty Peg🦶🏿Garrat_Bastard
Vere C. Edwards
To be honest,if that person want a Job he,or she can get a Job, especially in the security private sectors,even as I write this text, alot of security firms in need of workers daily,but I guess alot of us are waiting for specific jobs,and we want the blame the government for not doing anything….
I am very very creative,and artistic person,but yet still I stay with security work, sometimes we need to do other jobs as stepping stone, just to get where we wanted to reach in life..
I feel for you but I am also aware that part of the problem is ours as young people.
Many of our peers decided that they want nothing to do with politics, not realizing that if you don’t deal with politics, it will deal with you. They go to all the free fetes and the free concerts not concern enough to find out where the money came from to pay the million dollar artistes. They don’t vote. They don’t take part in community events, and they try to emulate everything the American rap boys and girls do. They say with pride that they don’t know where anywhere in Antigua is, that they don’t listen to the local radio, watch the local TV nor read a local newspaper. Therefore, things have overtaken them and suddenly they realize they are the ones who are getting hurt.
I came out of a great program that the last government came up with to help young people who came out of university and could not get a job. The Program was LEAP. Some of us did not reach university but were in important departments.
They took us, put us in ministries and departments and statutory corporations to learn the job. Every week they had top civil servants and business people talk to us and nurture us. Then they paid us a monthly stipend to get to work and feed ourselves, and at the end of the program they gave all of us $5,000 to last us until we got a job. Most of us got jobs where we interned. Many of us now are doing well and in the senior management where we work.
I am glad I got a chance to take part in it because it was stopped when the government changed. I have friends who were waiting for their chance, but that never came.
If we as young people don’t get involved with our country enough to do something about the slide we are going through, we are going to have to go along with what we are given and what we are allowed to do.
The future is there. We have to choose how we live it.
Let’s face it. If you are a white born Antiguan the world is yours. Rich parents no suffering and funding for everything. Parents who avoid tax and have homes in Europe. They never contribute to young persons in Antigua. It is time they help the poor in Antigua.
I respect the views of all the writers,but the reality is ,we are truly second class citizen in our land of birth.It is not only in getting a job ,but also starting a business. .Our country is fast becoming a ghetto. People from all over ,just come and set up deplorable little huts in our country while the DCA turn a blind eye . Yet they can see young Antiguan building to demolish . I invite all of you to take a drive around this country and see for yourselves. Also ask who owns these ghetto looking buildings? I can bet 95% own by outsiders. My heart bleeds for this land on mines. Even in the hotels ,guest complaining that workers do not know basic things about the country . The reason is ,they are only employed for low wages and not educated about their adopted country . God help us !
Almost Everyone has jumped on the point that the young person made, about not getting a job, and blatantly looked past the most important part, as to why he said what he said, and that’s the very fact, that, he feels like a second class citizen in his own country.
Yes the writer griped about not getting a job, but that has nothing to do with how he really feels, and that’s feeling like being a second class citizen in his/her own country, that’s a bigger point to me.
The man/woman feels how they feels, and that’s his/her true genuine sentiments of how he/she feels, after all he/she’s the one who’s going through it,so I feel for him/her, because it is of a fact that, us Antiguan’s,are getting pushed out in droves from our country.
So let us consider that for a second, please, and see what this young person is really concerned about..that Antigua has been taken away from Antiguan’s and given to foreigners.
Facts, facts, all facts.
So young person, I applaud you for speaking up for yourself, and keep calling out the truth for what it is.
They brought in a 1000 Africans with no papers at all, and even put them up in fancy places, then next thing you know, those very Africans disappeared just like that. That’s what this Government did, treat strangers better than their own people…
These are all facts .so speak your mind young man, because this very government doesn’t give a crap about Antiguan’s, other than for the asswipes that get the handouts.. and I can guarantee you,even way more foreigners get more handouts that Antiguan’s themselves..
So there you go..If you are not part of the corrupt regime, you ain’t getting no big job in their administration…and it’s worse if they know that your family doesn’t support this corrupt Government.
But keep your head high young soul, because time in longer than twine.
Firstly, the expectation of returning home and landing a manegerial job right away is ludacris and the issue is that no one wants to start from the bottom and work their way up anymore. Secondly as the General Manager for a very prestigious company here in Antigua, the sad reality is that young people bearly present themselves well for an interview and if they are successful in acquiring the job, within no time they are constantly sick as the priority to party and live a facade for social media is more important than gaining experience thus enabling them to move up in the work place.
And before you say idk what am talking about don’t, because I’ve lived it and done it all. University then back home to start at entry level amd work my way to the top.. SAD TRUTH IS… ARE YOU NUH WANT NUN WORK FU DO.. LAZIEST GENERATION EVER.
@Deigo..And this diatribe you just put out is how you show care and concern for the youths of today, this is how you do it?
It’s not that you don’t know what you’re saying, it’s the fact that you sound like a misogynistic down ass saying it.
Why would anyone wants to work for a fool like you?
It’s shocking you even have a successful business,much less ” a business”.
It’s Dumbo’s like you running this country.. waste man you be.
I hope this youth don’t commit suicide
We tell ppl to ” let’s talk ” but when they do, see the comments add taste the vitriol
At times, I wonder if we would have been better off if we left school at 12 and married at 13
I.think if he bags groceries with an associate or bachelor degree to make a living (sounds like he just might), some of you will be thrilled
Hopefully he gets help to get a bizness up and running or gets a break nevermind being over qualified
Totally agree that Antiguans are currently second class citizens in our own country. However, imho, we’re the ones doing that to ourselves because of the get rich quick mentality. Us local people often prefer to do business with seemingly rich foreigners than with locals. So, the best local food, the best service in stores, the best rentals, the best art and entertainment – everything good is priced for and offered to visitors and expats because it is believed that they will pay more and quickly. Thus, there is nothing good left for locals, we treat each other like dirt, and fight one another for the other jobs that exist. Funny thing though, people like the Syrians make good money selling cheaply to locals, but we locals hardly want to offer services to one other and if we do, we never want to offer each other a good price or good service. So, we keep one another in poverty, lack, and stress. And now some younger people are making it even worse terrorizing the community with crime and violence. If you want to make a living just start a business offering decent affordable goods and services to your own fellow poor and middle class Antiguans. That’s an underserved market. You will earn enough to live and simultaneously make everyone feel like first class citizens once again.
1. Just think of any service that you wish you could have and start a business offering that service because other people probably want/need it too.
2. Fellas, ask the ladies in your life for business ideas. Some of the most profitable businesses cater to women and children and you might not think of them yourself. But, as a man you might have the drive and strength to run certain businesses that women and children need but can’t run themselves.
3. Green/Environmental things are big these days.
4. Community businesses are needed in many areas.
5. Team up with qualified others instead of going it alone to offer a proper service of any business type.
Lots of good points have been made by others here: Try starting a business with friends, or when seeking employment be patient and work your way up etc. Too often newbies think they know everything when they are just starting out and cause a lot of problems and friction in the workplace. In every new role in life you have to be humble and learn from those who were there before you. Even if you have a degree, you have to understand the system that was in place before you before you try to make a lot of changes based on what you have learned. Don’t assume the people before you don’t know what they are doing if they are not doing everything by the book the way you learned it. In the real world you have to adapt to circumstances such as lack of resources, time, and lack of available qualified personnel for certain tasks. So, compromises must be made, respectful conversations must be had in order for people to work together effectively. Mutual respect and communication is often lacking in workplaces here. Newbies don’t want to respectfully learn from experienced ones about what actually works and experienced ones don’t always want to listen to the new grads about new ideas an perspectives that might help in some instances.This also applies to immigrants from other islands as well. Some come and want to take over tasks their own way without first trying to learn and understand how and why things were done before they got here. Some help to build up the country, but others help to ruin good things sometimes. Everybody wants to be in charge, but what is needed is respectful teamwork. Even managers need to consult knowledgeable team members for work to be effective.
As more people graduate each year, it is unrealistic to expect them to fill roles that are already filled. Clearly, more jobs need to be CREATED. As populations increase little by little, more services are needed for more people so instead of competing for what is already there, people should be adding more services everyday, hence more jobs should be created. The young people committing crimes to take from those who have a little also need to understand this. It’s lazy and self-destructive to society to fight one another for what is already there. It is wiser to be courageous and diligent enough to create new things. Understandably, young individuals with little experience hesitate to become entrepreneurs. However, lots of older persons have lots of ideas from their years of employment and experience so teamwork is needed. Older persons can act as mentors or senior business partners to young entrepreneurs. Or perhaps older persons should be the ones given financial help (grants etc.) to start useful successful businesses. Once their business is successful they are more likely to leave their previous employment opening up spaces for younger persons. Also, young people can get jobs in the startups of older persons. They can even get a fancy managerial title sooner if they assist older persons with their startups instead of just applying to established businesses.
In a tiny island, it is perhaps unrealistic to expect every graduate to be able work locally. So, instead of lowering standards just to meet local needs, students need to be trained to international educational standards. This will give them opportunities to work in any country that they can find work in. Immigrants coming here to seek employment will be coming with their internationally-recognised education as well, so even local graduates who plan to live here need to be trained at a level that will allow them to compete successfully for local jobs in the future. There is also competition for business online. So, again the competition is actually international not just local and so investing in and implementing a quality educational system at every level is required.
Charity should always begin at home…
A well known artist scripted in one of his songs that ” we are responsible for our children, we brought them her so we have to care for them .”
Most expatriates who are here for employment were already groomed back in their mother land and garnered enough experience to migrate to work else where…
As the youngster said, openings need to be created for them. Some employers including the gov’t need to have their employment machinery properly audited & restructured.
Over qualified? Who are you trying to fool? Countless jobs are advertised asking for people with degrees and more. Maybe you aren’t looking as hard as you claim and maybe you did not write a good résumé.
Go back to the drawing board.
@Chupes, How many of those so called jobs advertised already have been filled but they still putting out the ad just for so! You are a fool if you don’t know that! Friend and company are getting these jobs and have no clue how to do said job. Wake up to the reality here!
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