Coat of Arms of JamaicaNational A.I. Policy ExplorerJamaica
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Pillar 02

Education and Workforce Development

Policy objective

Prepare Jamaicans to integrate into an AI-enabled global workforce.

The policy issue

Within education, generative A.I. technologies have already disrupted traditional assessment methodologies as they push the boundaries of academic integrity and challenge teaching objectives; for example, allowing students to produce perfect answers without engaging with the educational material. However, A.I. competencies can be beneficial in the workforce, providing a productivity boost in diverse sectors. While some jobs will be automated, new roles will emerge requiring specialized A.I. knowledge. Jamaica's education system must find ways to build competences in A.I. literacy for both teachers and students alike, without compromising the validity of student assessment, and to equip the workforce with the necessary A.I. and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) skills to be competitive in the global economy.

Challenges

  • Insufficient AI-related curricula in secondary and tertiary education.
  • Effecting change in curricula in a dynamic, technological environment is slow and lengthy, resulting in curricula not necessarily being adequately responsive to training needs.
  • Lack of vocational training programmes in A.I. and related fields.
  • Inadequate teacher training to effectively deliver A.I. education.

Recommendations

Short Term1–3 yearsFoundations — guidelines, awareness, curriculum and coordination.
  1. 01

    Integrate A.I. and coding into the national curriculum at all education levels.

  2. 02

    Launch teacher training programmes focused on responsible A.I. use and effective assessments.

Medium Term4–6 yearsBuild-out — funding, infrastructure, partnerships and pilots.
  1. 01

    Establish specialized A.I. vocational and professional development courses in collaboration with local and international institutions.

Long Term7–10 yearsInstitutionalisation — authorities, standards and global positioning.
  1. 01

    Develop partnerships with global tech companies to establish A.I. centres of excellence, fostering research, internships, and continuous education in A.I. technologies.