Early Life Skills Training Could Help Young People Deal with Life’s Challenges – Civic Leader

Member of the Past Presidents Advisory Committee of the St. Ann Chamber of Commerce Joe Issa is advocating for children to be taught life skills at an early age, contending this could help them to cope with their challenges later in life.

“I think children should be taught the basics such as how to count and what change to expect when they go to the shop, write a proper letter, share what they have with others, cook food and wash the dishes, wash clothes, stitch and iron them, clean their room and make up the bed.

“They must also learn how to use basic tools like the hammer and put up pictures on the wall, change their bicycle tyres and brakes, and change the light bulb. Most importantly, they must learn life-saving skills like how to swim and have respect for the sea, treat a wound and perform CPR,” said Issa, in an interview.

In extolling the virtues of early life skill learning, Issa argues that “the school leavers who understand these will be better able to deal with their personal challenges later in life, especially at college or university when they will be required to balance varying demands, such as doing the house chores, dressing smartly, studying, and submitting assignments on time.”

Issa adds: “Similarly, the graduate who is armed with these life skills is better poised to take advantage of employment opportunities wherever they are, locally or internationally.”

In lamenting the lack of knowledge of life skills by many of the youth today, given the potential contribution these can make to their wholesome development, Issa said “people may not realize this, but it’s an awesome empowerment to be able to help yourself in so many ways and not embarrass yourself…It can boost your adaptive capacity and confidence and enable you to make the right choice of friends, university and career.”

Stating that there are many life skills which must be taught to both kids and parents, Issa cites first aid, of which, according to a survey, a quarter of parents in the US have no knowledge whatsoever, even as many children die in accidents in the home each year.

According to the UK Mirror, “a new study of 2,000 parents reveals millions of children’s lives are at risk because their mums and dads don’t have the appropriate life-saving skills.”

“Show them how to use tools safely, such as screwdrivers and hammers and teach them key facts about electricity and water supplies…Do car maintenance. Knowing how to change a wheel and check the oil levels will help keep them safe and save them time and money,” the paper advocates.

Wikipedia describes Life skills as “abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable humans to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. They are a set of human skills acquired via teaching or direct experience that are used to handle problems and questions commonly encountered in daily human life.”

The Macmillan dictionary says the term “life skills”’ refers to a broad range of soft skills which often vary depending on individual situations. It said for kids, they could include numeric literacy and sharing with others, while for university students, “knowing how to manage different workloads and meet deadlines is essential.”

Former LSE Student Picks Stable, Low Inflation to Raise Output and Productivity

Joe Issa, a former Student of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where he founded his first charity to assist underprivileged Jamaican children, has said in an interview, that stable, low inflation best suit small island states like Jamaica with less resilience to economic shocks, stating it is the preferred choice for raising output and productivity.

Joey Issa

“You don’t want to go back to the period in our history when inflation was very high and consumers were getting much less for their money, year over year, especially in the absence of a rigid prices and incomes policy that fully maintains purchasing power as inflation rises,” says Issa who, while studying at LSE, famously established the “Educate the Children Fund”, which raised £3,000 to buy books for underprivileged Jamaican children.

Noting that the high 26-per cent inflation recorded by Jamaica in 2008, may be considered to be moderate, especially for countries coming from three-digit inflation figures, Issa says “double digit inflation it too high for us.”

“The ideal for us is low inflation; and when bench marked with the wider world it translates to single digit inflation, which we have been posting in recent times. I am pleased it has been hitting lower lows more recently,” says Issa in the interview.

He was commenting on a Jamaica Observer article which reported that inflation had reached a low of 1.7 per cent at the end of December last year, and that it was the lowest in more than 45 years.

It also said that “the inflation rate in Jamaica has averaged 9.79 per cent from 2002 until 2016, reaching an all-time high of 26.49 per cent in August 2008 and a record low of 1.60 per cent in November 2016.”

In commending the progress of the government in keeping inflation on a downward trajectory, Issa says more Jamaicans will fare better, particularly since most of the weighting in the consumer price index is given to food and drinks on which low income earners tend to spend most of their income.

Acknowledging that different levels of inflations have different effects, Issa cites three scenarios for any country; Jamaica included.

“At very high levels, inflation is bad for us as the majority of the population come under pressure to buy the goods and services they were once able to acquire; at the same time, businesses cut output and send workers home.

“However, at low and stable levels of inflation the opposite occurs. Producers tend to increase their workforce so that they can increase production, which could lead to better wages for workers,” Issa says.

He adds, “Inflation rate below zero, or deflation as it is called, is also not good for any economy as it keeps prices low, which can reduce job opportunities and put more load on consumers.

“But, with low and stable inflation, as we have now, we can expect production and productivity to rise and create job opportunities.”

Joe Issa Supports Teaching Money Management to Kids

Founder of one of the nation’s largest retail conglomerate Joe Issa, who is a member of “The Ultimate Professional Directory of International Who’s Who”, has said that he supports the teaching of money management across the school system, stating it will make for a more frugal populace.

“I am of the view that if we teach money management to kids, it will make them more thrifty later on in life,” says Issa, adding, “It could break the back of the phenomenon of living from pay cheque to pay cheque and make for a less turbulent credit environment, such as what we experienced in the late 1990s when both consumers and financial institutions went belly up.”

Issa’s comments come as the present administration moves to introduce an entrepreneurship curriculum in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions to foster innovation among school leavers and generate economic growth.

But now Issa, who supported the idea of early entrepreneurship training, is pushing the envelope to include money management, which he argues is a critical skill for managing spending and credit in adult life, whether for personal purposes or as managers of institutions.

And Issa is not alone. In a survey in the United States, 87 per cent of respondents believe that teaching kids about money management in schools will lower the population of people with credit issues in the future, according to the website Debate.org.

Joseph John Issa

“Yes we do not know whether they will use the financial education learnt early in life to better their futures, but what we do know is that if we do not expose them to it early, they are less likely to have the money management knowledge necessary to produce good spending habits later in life,” says Issa, whose business strategy is to spend as little as possible and earn as much as possible.

A former commercial bank director and Nominee for the Business Observer Business Leader of the Year 2004, Issa says too many consumers fall into the trap of buying on credit without the ability to manage the payments, stating that by not paying their credit card bills in full and on time, they run deeper into trouble.

“More people must understand the cost of not paying cash and the benefits of saving for the future…They must learn early not to be influenced by the Joneses   and spend unnecessarily.

“They need to create a budget and stick to it…In that budget there must be something set aside for saving for future consumption, such as the children’s education, unforeseen circumstances and paying their taxes when due. This means they must be able to track their expenses and manage their income,” says Issa, Executive Chairman of Cool Group of Companies.

He says more people need to think like Warren Buffett, referencing one of the richest men in the world, who has warned would-be investors to hold on to his ideology of frugality, which involves making every financial transaction worth the expense.

Buffett’s well-regarded techniques, which are said to be investment-boosting and portfolio-multiplying, include avoiding expenses which appeal to vanity or snobbery, going for the most cost-effective alternative, favouring expenditures on interest bearing items over all others, and establishing the expected benefits of all desirable expenses using the rule, “plus/minus/nil” to “standard of living value system”.

According to Wikipedia, “Money management is the process of managing money which includes expense tracking, investment, budgeting, banking and taxes. It is also called investment management.”

However, Issa suggests a step-by-step approach beginning with setting goals and creating a budget, which he says, “provide a critical guide for how to proceed,” adding that “it is also important to be able to track spending through bank reconciliation and save some money.”

Make Entrepreneurship the Centerpiece of Jamaica’s Education System-Joe Issa

Popular Ocho Rios figure Joe Issa, who is said to have become hugely successful on the back of an early exposure to business, believes that entrepreneurship training should be made the showpiece of Jamaica’s education system; and the earlier the better, in order to have the greatest impact on the development of entrepreneurial activity, both cognitive (conscious mental activities, such as thinking, understanding, learning) and non-cognitive (persistence, creativity and pro-activity).

“I would agree with teaching business at any age and under any circumstances, let alone in all primary and secondary schools and colleges as part of the curriculum.

“The teaching of the subject from as early as the primary level will better enable school leavers to start companies and become more creative and ambitious,” says Issa, whose charities buy books and supplies, enhance the learning experience in classrooms with computers, cupboards and air condition units, as well as provide scholarships for university students.

The founder of Cool Group of over 50 companies was responding to a recent announcement by Minister of Industry and Commerce Karl Samuda, that entrepreneurship would be introduced in schools from as early as the primary level.

In stating that the subject would be taught right across the education system, Minister Samuda said at the launch of Scotiabank’s 2016 Vision Achiever Programme in Kingston, that the move is part of an attempt by the government to foster innovation among students, arguing that it is critical for young people to be sensitized at an early age about how to do business.

Stating that the absence of entrepreneurship studies in schools is undesirable, Issa bemoans the current situation: “By and large all young people leave school looking for jobs, but many won’t find any, leaving them to think out of the box for alternatives, something they are ill prepared for.

“The situation gets worst when they fail to get alternative means of supporting themselves and their families, at which point anything goes and that can give rise to bad choices that often lead to a life of crime and violence, disrespect for others’ pursuits, and little or no respect for property and life, even their own,” Issa says.

In making a case for the more desirable flipside, he says, “Young people will be leaving school still seeking to fend for themselves and their families, but the difference this time is that they won’t be doing so necessarily through employment or by any means necessary…With their newly acquired entrepreneurial skills they would instead be eyeing funds to set up businesses and employ people.”

Like Minster Samuda, Issa’s views are supported in a study by Amsterdam School of Economics and University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands. It suggested that non-cognitive entrepreneurial skills, which are increasingly relevant determinants of labour market outcomes, are best developed at an early age.

Issa also adds: “As part of the curriculum, the entrepreneurship learning experience could bring about a positive change in the mindset of young people, which allows for greater appreciation and respect for each other’s challenges and successes and ultimately, make for a more peaceful and prosperous society.”

 

Businessman Joe Issa Touts Policy Targeting Education and Productivity

Businessman and philanthropist Joe Issa who is known to spend millions of dollars a year on the education of Jamaican children is touting government policy geared towards improving education and productivity.

Joseph John Issa

“The focus on improving education and productivity is a good move as it will enable labour market reform and workforce productivity; these, along with greater value added and better worker compensation, constitute the main ingredients for high growth,” says Issa, adding that “there must be above-normal growth in order for the general living standard of citizens to significantly improve.

A former student of the London School of Economics (LSE) in the United Kingdom where he founded his first charity – Educate the Children Fund – Issa was speaking against the background of the increased need for the education system to generate skills and professions that are demanded by the market, something which Minister of Education, Youth and Information Hon Ruel Reid has been pushing.

Most importantly, Issa cites as critical, labour market reform in order to drive output and productivity as well as increase participation by more Jamaicans in the development process, which he says won’t happen until workers are educated and trained.

Pointing to the importance of labour market reform Issa says “it is critical that we change the market for workers to make it more flexible and efficient, thereby enabling employers to adjust the timing, level and deployment of its workforce to suit their needs,” stating “without it we will lose much needed foreign direct investments.”

In lauding the policy measures, which focus on improving and expanding vocational training, targeting skills and professions that are in high demand and reforming the labour market, Issa says the actions will ensure that the average man on the street participates in adding value at the highest level possible and benefits from economic growth.

In this regard Issa says he likes the new thrust by the ministry of labour and social security to become an economic ministry, “a greater force and stimulant for growth and development,” said the minister, Hon. Shahine Robinson in her contribution to the sectoral debate, acknowledging “the need to enhance labour management and administration.”

Cool Charities Unlocking Doors Through Education

They say that education is a way out of poverty; Joe Issa says it is the only way out. “It enables entry into the labour market or business at a higher level and offers more pay and greater freedom to choose, the better the quality.”

And he, more than most should know the value of a good education having attended the best schools and universities; that’s why Issa has focused on education in giving back to society.

Issa’s approach is two-pronged: His Cool Charity provides scholarships for bright children to attend a top university, while enabling the under-privileged group to catch on by improving their learning environment with books, collateral material, cupboards and air condition units.

The two-prong approach to giving back to education has been hailed a strategic one with elements of sustainability, by addressing the disadvantages early and giving affected children a fighting chance to become future scholarship candidates.

It was Nelson Mandela who once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” and he used it effectively to change many things throughout the globe, some while in jail and many on the outside, as President of South Africa.

Another famous figure, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. put it this way: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” The civil rights leader delivered the famous speech “I have a dream” at a rally in Washington D.C.

But it was George Washington Carver who, like Issa, spoke of the beauty of education in giving people more choices when he said, “Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.”

 

coolcorp.com/company/cool-charities

All Jamaican Children Deserve a Good Education – Joe Issa

Executive Chairman of Cool Group of companies, Joe Issa, says he believes in promoting education because it is the surest way out of poverty, the scourge of all societies.

Issa, who has established charities as a conduit for giving back, has focused on education as it opens up opportunities for gainful employment, which provides the necessities for daily living – food, clothing and shelter.

However, he cautions that sometimes, depending on how enabling the business environment is, more is needed, such as a good education, creativity and imagination or even retraining in order to break completely, the cycle of poverty.

“Yes! Literacy and numeracy will take you somewhere in terms of getting a job, but you may not even need to be able to read, write and count for these low-paying jobs, such as digging holes and filling them back. And when all the holes have been dug and filled, what next is left to do? And that’s when the cookie crumbles.

“So, numeracy and literacy have their uses, such as in functionality: enabling you to follow directions in traveling, dosages in dispensing medicine, recipes in cooking and applications in using agricultural chemicals, etc. But beyond these, the mere ability to read, write and count is woefully inadequate,” says Issa.

In 1987, Issa founded “Educate the Children Fund to buy books for disadvantaged children in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean and a year later, he established the “Joe Issa/Holy Cross Scholarship Fund” to send students to university.

He describes a good education as one that does not merely enable school leavers to get a decent entry level job, but one which allows them to matriculate to higher education, such as college and university and get a profession.

As a civic-minded philanthropist who has hosted youth camps and disadvantaged children in the communities in which his businesses operate, Issa believes that schools must be progressive in order to churn out university-ready children.

With this in mind, he founded “Global Education 2000”, which has twined Jamaican schools with their counterparts in the United States. Several schools have benefited from these exchanges, including Three Hills All Age School in St. Mary, which was twinned with Broward Elementary School in Tampa, Florida.

Issa, who was pleased with the idea, said it’s a “major development which will see an exciting, rewarding exchange of cultural ideas and thoughts between students and teachers at both institutions.”

“Much of who I am today is due to my good fortune of having been able to access a good education and I wish nothing less for all Jamaican children,” Issa says.

Back to School- Joe Issa

New school year begins: let’s not just send the lunch money, show our children we care, take an interest in their work!

 I am no expert in parenting, nor am I a past school teacher but I know that this week, many of us will be happy or sad when the kids go to school; happy for them for their growth, after the long holidays, and sad because we will miss them, after being so much a part of our daily activities during the long summer months.

 

I’m conscious of the importance of my role as a father and how important it is to them. So, I make sure I find time for them, to go through their interests with them and find out what problems they are having in life.

NEW SCHOLARSHIP FUND OPENED FOR JAMAICAN STUDENTS

A Holy Cross/Jamaica scholarship is to be offered once every four years to a less privileged Jamaican student attending one of the Jesuit High Schools, St. Georges’ College or Campion College.

The primary intent in the establishment of the scholarship is to “cement the links between Holy Cross, the New England Jesuits, and Jamaica,” a news release says.

According to the statement from the organisers of the scholarship, Jamaica is one of the most indebted countries in the world. It has an acute shortage of foreign exchange, and progress is being hindered by a high illiteracy rate estimated at about 50 percent. The island suffers from “a lost generation of talented and educated citizens.”

As a result of political and economic instability in the past, “many good people emigrated. Now, those who remain and have an education enjoy a tremendous advantage, and their beliefs and principles, whether good or bad, influence their method of managing. It is hoped that the educational advantage of the recipient — a Holy Cross graduate – would be used to further not only individual goals, but community goals in Jamaica as well.

The scholarship is to be structured so that the beneficiary feels compelled to give something back to the Jamaica community and the schools which made the scholarship possible.

The Scholarship Committee as the Jamaica end, will consist of the Principal of St. George’s College (Father Hughs), the principal of Campion College (Mr. McKay, a vocational guidance counselor, a member from the board of one of these schools (preferably a person who presently sits on both boards), and a member from the private sector whose resources have not been significantly tapped in the regard (he/she would most likely chair the committee).

The Scholarship will be open to graduates of Campion College and St. George’s College (both in Kingston), and will be awarded every four years to a graduate of one of these schools.

The candidate must meet the following requirements:

*was born in Jamaica and if not, of parents who have been domiciled in Jamaica either at the time of his/her birth or during the whole of the five (5) years immediately preceding his/her date of graduation;

*is a person of good character, possesses leadership qualities and is no older than nineteen (19) at date of application;

*satisfies the requirements for admission to Holy Cross College.

Successful candidates must return to Jamaica for a period of four (4) years immediately following completion of his/her course of study.

Failing this, the student would be expected to repay the whole or an appropriate proportion (as decided by the scholarship committee) of the Jamaican supported share of the scholarship funds, plus interest. The funds would be used to help other winners of the scholarship.

Source: The Jamaica Record

Three Hills All Age being twinned with Florida school

The Three Hills All Age School in St. Mary is being twinned with the Broward Elementary School in Tampa, Florida, USA, in continuation of an education thrust by the SuperClubs resort group.

The latest exercise is being spearheaded by SuperClubs Couples Hotel in St. Mary, through the instrumentality of the hotel’s general manager Mr. Joey Issa.

In a statement, Mr. Issa has hailed the project as a “major development, which will see an exciting, rewarding exchange of cultural ideas and thoughts between students and teachers at both institutions.”

The project is named “Global 2000”, and it was launched recently at Couples. The launching was attended by executives of both schools, a Couples Hotel management team, Jamaican Ministry of Education officials, and Jamaican and Tampa private sector persons involved in education and recreation.

Mrs. Beverley Demott, principal of the Broward Elementary School, has participated in a reciprocal programme with the Sheffield All Age School in Westmoreland, along with Mr. Issa. She told the launching meeting that she was seeking to do the same at Three Hills.

Mrs. Demott pointed out that she had forged “this valuable link” with Mr. Issa when he was general manager at another SuperClubs property, the Grand Lido, in Negril. “Since then, teachers from my school have visited Sheffield, bringing with them various teaching aids and books,” Mrs. Demott disclosed.

She went on: “My aim is to establish firm links between the children of my school and those of Three Hills All Age, so that subject areas like culture, social studies, and geography can be improved. I also want to set up a computer facility at Three Hills All Age.

“This idea has been submitted to the Florida State Board of Education and has been awarded a prize for being the ‘Most Promising Intercultural Programme’. I am currently involved in shipping to Jamaica a number of school books.”

The chief education officer in the Jamaican Ministry of Education, Mr. Wesley Barrett, acknowledged “the tremendous work that Mr. Joey Issa, the Couples team, and SuperClubs have been doing for education, throughout the years.” He pledged that the ministry would undertake to clear charity books and supplies duty free. He urged service clubs and Jamaican groups in Florida to assist with the shipping of supplies.

The deputy director of the Recreation Department for the City of Tampa, Mr. Wayne Papy, promised to work with Tampa and Jamaica service clubs, in getting the goods to Jamaica. Mr. Papy has already touched base, “at a meeting on March 2, with Ocho Rios Chamber of Commerce manager, Mrs. Val Brown; Mr. Don Creary, from the St. Mary Kiwanis Club, regarding this.

Three Hills All Age’s Principal, Mrs. Claire Hoilett, thanked Couples and Mrs. Demott for selecting her school for assistance. She said he was “a great opportunity” for her school to enhance cultural links outside of Jamaica.

Jamaica Teachers Association president, Mr. Ray Howell, also hailed the project as another milestone in his organization’s long association in the involvement of “twinning” local and foreign schools. He also spoke of dire necessity for teachers to be taught computer skills.

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