UWI, HRMAJ relaunch Student Club
MONA School of Business and Management (MSBM) has spearheaded the relaunch of the University of the West Indies (UWI)/ Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica (HRMAJ) Student Club. The club is open to students who are interested in human resources management, and aims to create a relationship between students and practising human resources professionals who model the values of the profession and can provide professional help and guidance.
Key members of the Jamaica Employers Federation, members of the HRMAJ secretariat, and human resources students from the University of Technology Jamaica lent their support to the venture at the event which was held in late January at the UWI Mona campus.
Guest speaker Michael Jones, president of HRMAJ and senior vice president of human resources at Scotiabank, encouraged students to realise the importance of human resources management to business during the current economic crisis.
“With the recession has come a number of mergers and acquisitions, and as such human resources professionals need to do our due diligence as HR is called upon to help different business cultures to mesh,” said Jones.
Jones also spoke to the strategic value of human resource professionals in the upgrading of staff training.
“There has been an inadequacy in the capacity development in the workforce. HR professionals play a vital role in adding value to the strategic space; creating solutions to problems arising from global completion strategies such as outsourcing.”
Susan Broober, manager of the HRMAJ Secretariat, reiterated this sentiment, reminding students that HR professionals “don’t just shuffle papers and manage sick leave”.
“We are business strategists and we need to continue to have qualified persons in the field,” she said.
Professor Densil Williams, executive director of MSBM underscored the importance of human resource management to the development of Jamaica. Williams noted that the number one complaint amongst employees in Jamaica was perceived disrespect, and that such attitudes affected productivity.
“At the heart of national growth is a lack of productivity in the workforce. The human resources function has a critical role to play in overcoming the productivity deficit.”
The relaunch of the UWI/HRMAJ club saw a high turnout of UWI students whose enthusiasm was made clear by their participation in the discussions with industry leaders throughout the event.