Students at Stony Hill Technical High School in St. Andrew are now benefiting from enhanced access to digital training and workplace-ready skills, following the official opening of an Electronic Document Preparation and Management (EDPM) and Customer Engagement Laboratory at the institution.
The facility, valued more than $10 million, was commissioned on Friday (January 9) and represents a major investment by the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information in advancing technical and vocational education.
It will serve multiple functions, equipping students with practical experience in electronic document preparation, database management, digital communication, and customer service, while providing teachers with the tools to deliver a curriculum that is dynamic and aligned with 21st century demands.
The lab is expected to enhance workforce readiness among students and contribute to national development by producing graduates equipped with globally competitive technical skills.
Speaking during the official opening, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Kasan Troupe, stated that the new facility underscores the Government’s commitment to strengthening Jamaica’s human capital and preparing students for both local and global labour markets.
“The lab represents our investment in your capacity to shine… where your discipline will meet opportunity, where your curiosity will meet skills, and where your potential will meet preparation. You are not defined by where you have started, but by the choices you make,” she said.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Dr. Kasan Troupe, delivers the keynote address during the official opening of the Electronic Document Preparation and Management (EDPM) and Customer Engagement Laboratory at Stony Hill Technical High School in St. Andrew on Friday (January 9).
Dr. Troupe emphasised that technical and vocational education must be regarded on par with traditional academic pathways, highlighting the growing global demand for competencies in digital documentation, records and information management, customer service excellence, and technology mastery.
“No longer [in a] … technical high school are you to feel as if you are secondary to any traditional high school in this country,” the Permanent Secretary said, adding that technical programmes provide the kind of learning the world is increasingly asking for.
Dr. Troupe urged teachers and administrators at Stony Hill Technical High to ensure the facility is fully utilised, encouraging them to embrace the technology and provide students with hands-on access to build mastery and confidence.
State Minister in the Ministry of National Security and Peace and Member of Parliament for St. Andrew West Rural, Hon. Juliet Cuthbert Flynn, welcomed the lab’s commissioning, describing it as a symbol of progress and opportunity for the community.
“It represents a commitment to the preparation of our young people with practical, hands-on skills needed for today’s workplace. This centre was created especially for you, and I want to encourage all of you to take full advantage of it,” she said.
Mrs. Cuthbert Flynn also urged that the institution be widely promoted as a school of choice across Kingston and the wider metropolitan area, while encouraging students to safeguard and preserve the facility.
Acting Principal, Debbie Dillon, described the laboratory as an historic milestone for the institution, bridging the divide between classroom instruction and workplace readiness.
“This moment represents, not just the opening of a physical space, but the opening of doors to opportunities, doors of excellence, and a brighter future for all of our students,” she said.
Student, Tatyand McKenzie, expressed gratitude for the new lab, emphasising its significance to academic growth and career development.
“Our school will do well with the resources in the EDPM and customer service field. We are excited to learn and grow with this,” she said.