Young people need to understand that they are in charge of their economic independence.
March 21, 2025
Looking beyond the degree
Dear Editor,
Traditionally, we were told to go to school, get a degree, find a good-paying job, and we would be all right. However, before many of us left college or university, we already figured that it would not be as easy sailing as it sounded.
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Many students sacrifice a lot to pursue higher education and expect to eat the fruit of their labour once they obtain their first degree. But shortly after they start to work, they realise that life is hard and their aspirations may not be achieved in the time frame they had initially set out.
Although salaries are better, in principle, when we measure the average young person’s net income versus their expenses, it is evident that they are living hand-to-mouth. For this reason, several have considered moving to countries whose economic situation is more favourable. But what about those who cannot or choose not to leave?
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Young people need to understand that they are in charge of their economic independence. Most of us were not even born with a plastic spoon in our mouths, much less a gold one. Our parents had no inheritance to pass on to us. And we certainly will not obtain it through any political party.
Consequently, we have to empower ourselves with the requisite information and expertise to break free from centuries of socio-economic disenfranchisement.
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One way to do that is to look beyond the degree. In this era young people cannot limit themselves to their area of immediate specialisation. You are not your degree! Today’s job market requires young people to leverage their academic qualifications and other competencies to empower themselves and achieve financial freedom.
Through upskilling and continuous professional development, young people can tap into numerous opportunities — even supervisory and managerial posts — outside of their degree specialisations. They can even search for other gigs outside of their regular nine-to-five job.
The undeniable truth is that if young people are not earning handsomely, they have to engage in side jobs to make ends meet.
A person with a specialisation like mine — culture, languages, and linguistics — could earn additional income through writing, research, translation and interpreting, editing and proofreading, tutoring, and consultation, to name a few.
In fact, I recall doing some interpreting for the US Department of State for five days, from which I earned more than my monthly salary at my then full-time job.
Although not every specialisation has such possibilities, young people have to be creative and innovative in their thinking and actions. This requires getting out of one’s comfort zone, taking risks, and betting on oneself.
The $1.5-million deposit required for housing investment will not come out of thin air. In fact, it may take some 20 years to save for it. The dream car may be accessible via a loan from a bank, but the monthly repayment has to come from somewhere. The ideal vacation that you may want to take has to be funded from somewhere.
While I am not promoting overwork, a lot of these goals will not see the light with just one source of income. Consequently, young people cannot pin themselves to their degrees or their full-time job if they want to secure economic independence.
But make no mistake, as Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness wrapped up the 2025/2026 Budget Debate on Thursday, the future of Jamaica is left in the people’s hand when they go to the polls when the general election is called, possibly later this year. The next party who forms Government will also affect our fiscal leverage.
Oneil Madden
maddenoniel@yahoo.com
