Human Resources

Definition of Resource
A resource is defined as anything natural or physical which can be harnessed to
create wealth or improve the standard of living of people
Human Resources: Definition
Human resources refers to the knowledge, skills, talents and abilities that
individuals possess

A range of human resources exist in the Caribbean e.g. engineers, doctors,

lawyers, teachers, farmers etc.
Need for developing Human Resources
In order to achieve sustainable development, Caribbean Governments need to
develop their human resources. This is because of:

1. The need for a large number of productive and skilled workers

2. The need for people to solve problems
Developing the Human Resource
Education

Human beings are born with certain skills, talents and abilities. The main aim of
education is to tap into these resources in individuals and develop them to their
fullest potential
Levels of Education
Kindergarten

Age: 3- 5 years

Aims: To cultivate interpersonal skills

To create readiness for formal entry to primary school

To provide basic training in reading, writing and arithmetic (3R’s)

Levels of Education
Primary

Age: 5- 11

Aims: To further the allround development of the individual

To provide a basic knowledge in all aspects of the curricula for meaningful

entry to the secondary level
Levels of education
Secondary

Age: 11- 19

Aims: To utilize broad- based curricula in the first few years to further enhance the
development of the individual; specialization occurs in the last few years in a
specific area of the curricula
Levels of education
Tertiary :Universities, Technical Institutes, Teacher Training Colleges

Age: 19+

Aims: To enable specialization in a subject area such as the Sciences, Arts,

Humanities, Law, Medicine etc.
The importance of Education
Caribbean Governments are placing emphasis on education at all levels. These
include:

1. Free primary education for all citizens

2. Universal secondary education
3. Book grants and free meals for underprivileged students
4. Adult education programmes
5. Granting of scholarships
6. Subsidizing the cost of tertiary education
Health
A healthy person may be described as one whose physical, mental and emotional
capacities are not affected by any ailments or deficiencies.

Developing a healthy population involves:

1. Proper nutrition
2. Availability and access to proper healthcare
Healthcare
Primary/ Preventative: The system that deals with preventing ailments

These include:

1. Education on the importance of breastfeeding

2. Education on the constituents of a balanced diet
3. Provision of immunization/vaccination
4. Collection and proper disposal of garbage
5. Provision of facilities for sports/ recreation
6. Provision of potable drinking water
Healthcare
Secondary/ Curative: The system that deals with curing ailments/ diseases

These include:

1. Maintenance of healthcare centres and mental institutions that deals with

curing diseases
2. Diagnosis of diseases/ ailments
3. Administering of medication
4. Performance of corrective surgery
5. Administering of radiotherapy and physiotherapy
Recreation
This is an important contributor to the total well- being of an individual. It provides
the individual with renewed strength, will and vitality to approach each day.

A person with a sedentary job usually finds physical activity rewarding and
refreshing
Religion
Religion fosters high moral and spiritual values which redound to the benefit of
society
Protection
Many individuals are under constant threat from criminal activities such as drug
abuse, robbery, rape and murder.

An atmosphere of peace and security must exist if individuals are to achieve their
highest goals

Governments have instituted a number of measures to ensure a safe and crime

free society
Population
This refers to all the people residing within a specific geographical region, nation,
a state, or city.

The specialized study of population is known as Demography

Population
Demographic data is collected using a Population Census. This is an official
count of a country’s population and also a record of information concerning each
household.

This information reveals details about:

1. Population size
2. Number of persons of working age
3. Number of persons employed
4. Gender, age and gender ratios
5. Marital status, religion, ethnicity
Major Characteristics of Population
Age: Knowing the age structure of a population is important because people have
different requirements from such things as health and education services at
different stages of life

Sex: The ratio of males to females might give an indication of the level of
procreation within a population. This information can be used to determine the
degree to which gender- specific health problems may emerge in the future
Major Characteristics of Population
Occupation: Knowing about the spread of occupations across a population helps
policy makers determine if there are skills shortages or a lack of skills
development

Ethnicity: Being aware of the ethnic composition helps in determining what needs
to be in place to meet the different needs of these groups

Religion: A person’s religion is an important part of their life and they hope to see
some aspect of religious values reflected in the society in which they live
Major characteristic of Population
Dependency ratio; This is used to describe the ratio of the number of dependents
to the number of economically active people. A high dependency ratio means that
there are a lot dependents compared to the working population
Population Pyramids
Age and sex distribution is often represented in a Population Pyramid
Factors influencing population change
A combination of factors influences population change

1. Birth Rate; The birth rate refers to the number of live births each year for
every thousand people in a population. Birth rates are affected by such things
as:

i) Women of childbearing age iv) Education

ii) family planning v) Culture and religious

iii) Economic conditions and healthcare

Factors influencing population change
Death Rate; The death rate refers to the number of deaths that occur for every
thousand people in a population

Some factors affecting death rate include:

1. Development and economic prosperity

2. Medical facilities and health care
3. Nutrition
Factors influencing population change
Growth rate and natural increase: The growth rate of a country’s population is
determined by finding the difference between the birth and death rates. If the
number of births is greater than the number of deaths, the situation is described as
a natural increase.
Factors affecting population change
Fertility rate: This refers to the average number of children born to each woman
in a given year
Factors affecting population change
Infant Mortality Rate: This is the number of deaths of infants under one year of
age for every thousand live births. This is sometimes used as an indicator of a
country’s development
Factors affecting population change
Life Expectancy: This is defined as the average number of years that persons in
a given population are expected to live.

Migration: This refers to the permanent movement of a person or family from one
location to another in order to settle.

Types of migration:

1. Internal migration: the movement of people who have changed residence

within a country
2. International Migration: when someone leaves one country and settles in
another
Factors affecting population change
Net Migration: This refers to the difference between the number of immigrants
and emigrants in a country in a particular year

Emigration: When people move away to another country

Immigration: When people move in from another country