JIS: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, is encouraging children to speak out against abuse.

 

Mr. Green said that while there has been an increase in the number of reported cases of child abuse by adults, there is still an issue of under-reporting, with only one out of 10 adults making reports.

 

He was speaking at the Reaching Individuals through Skills and Education (RISE) Life Management Services ‘Finding My Voice’ programme closing expo and concert, held on May 31 at Emancipation Park in Kingston,

 

“That is why we must have programmes that empower our children to speak up. That is why this ‘Finding My Voice’ programme is so important. It tells children about their rights and encourages them to speak if they are being abused, because we understand that we can’t depend on the adults only,” the State Minister said.

 

Mr. Green also encouraged children to make use of the resources available to them to report abuse.

 

“Children, we want you to know that if you are in a difficult situation, if you are being abused, you must say something. Go to your guidance counsellor, go to the Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR) or the Child Development Agency (CDA), and tell them what is happening to you,” the State Minister added.

 

Meanwhile, Head of Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Jamaica, Malgorzata Wasilewska, said the EU remains committed to working with the Government and its partners to defend the rights of all persons.

 

“Children are particularly vulnerable, and so we must each make a commitment to do better in terms of protecting them. Children, everywhere, who are experiencing, or who feel threatened, must feel comfortable to tell someone and get the support they deserve. This means that all Jamaicans must become part of the solution. This entails doing all we can to develop positive relationships with the children in our care and helping them to feel safe enough to enjoy their childhood,” she said.

 

Executive Director of RISE, Sonita Abrahams, told JIS News the initiative has accomplished its goal of training persons in abuse prevention and promoting human rights.

 

“We have trained over 28,000 young people. We have gone around the island and have done sessions in the classroom with primary-school children. We have also done training with parents and guidance counsellors in the prevention of sexual abuse against children. The whole idea is to teach young people and parents how to be safe and to recognise if there is an abuse situation going on, and encourage children to speak up,” she explained.

 

Mrs. Abrahams added that while RISE will continue to promote the initiative on its social media platform, Facebook and the ‘Finding My Voice’ music project, more public- and private-sector involvement is necessary to end child abuse.

 

The EU-funded ‘Finding My Voice’ National Programme on the Prevention of Child Abuse is an 18-month intervention aimed at the promotion and protection of the rights of children.

 

It has directly impacted an estimated 1.4 million persons islandwide through its multimedia public-education campaign on the prevention of sexual violence against children.

 

CAPTION: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (left), addresses the Reaching Individuals through Skills and Education (RISE) Life Management Services ‘Finding My Voice’ programme closing ceremony expo and concert held on May 31 at Emancipation Park in Kingston. The EU-funded national programme focused on the prevention of child abuse through a multimedia public-education campaign.

JIS: The Government plans to spend $100 million per annum, beginning next year, to improve safety at schools deemed to have inadequate security arrangements.

 

Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the undertaking will include the installation of perimeter fencing, LED lighting and electronic surveillance equipment.

 

He indicated that this exercise will be carried out until all schools requiring assistance are outfitted with the necessary security provisions to safeguard students, teachers and support staff, and other stakeholders accessing school compounds.

 

Additionally, Senator Reid, who emphasised that school safety and security is a high priority for the Government, said persons trained as security officers under the Administration’s Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) programme, would be utilised, where necessary, to augment these provisions.

 

He also urged school administrators to liaise with the police where security challenges requiring their intervention arose.

 

The Minister made the announcement during a consultative meeting of primary school principals and Board chairpersons at the Kendal Conference Centre in Manchester on May 30.

 

Meanwhile Senator Reid reminded principals of their responsibility, under the Child Care and Protection Act, to report acts of violence and abuse committed against children to the authorities.

 

He also stressed that the use of corporal punishment to discipline children was banned in Jamaica under an international convention signed by the Government.

 

Senator Reid said teachers and school administrators resorting to its use did so “at your own risk” and warned of dire consequences.

 

“Be guided by the United Nations Children’s Fund’s (recommendations) and the available alternative methods of punishment,” he stressed.

 

Meanwhile, as the Ministry prepares for increased roll-out and utilisation of information and communication technology (ICT) in education, Senator Reid is urging teachers and administrators to increase the use of ICT in order to strengthen their institutions’ efficiency and outputs.

 

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addressing principals and board chairpersons at Kendal Conference Centre in Manchester on May 30.

JIS: The Mission House Methodist Basic School in East Rural St. Andrew is to receive assistance from employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, in its quest to attain Early Childhood Commission (ECC) certification.

 

Members of the Jamaica Foreign Service Association (JaFSA) at the Ministry have committed to forging a long-term partnership with the school, which is affiliated with the Gordon Town Methodist Church and has already attained 79 per cent of the ECC’s certification standards.

 

The Ministry’s staff took the first step to cementing this partnership by carrying out renovation and beautification work at the school as their Labour Day project on May 23.

 

Members, along with Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, and ECC representatives, joined Member of Parliament, the Most Hon. Juliet Holness; members of the school’s administration; parents and other residents in giving the institution the welcome facelift.

 

The work entailed the refurbishing of the play area, ceiling and roof repairs, repainting, and general landscaping.

 

This is expected to propel the school closer to becoming certified, while further enhancing the teaching/learning experience for the 40 pupils and three teachers, headed by Principal, Kassan Scott.

 

The ECC Operating Standards emphasise the need for the creation of environments at schools that meet building, health and safety stipulations for children; the provision of adequate space to facilitate their development and that of the staff; the provision of safe child-friendly equipment and furnishings that promote the children’s optimal development; and safe indoor and outdoor environments for children, staff and visitors.

 

The Ministry’s staff members have indicated that there are further plans to address other features, which they hope to do in due course.

 

These include replacing the school’s roof, erecting a perimeter fence at the rear of the premises, and further enriching the teaching/learning experience by providing additional resources, such as books.

 

Senator Johnson Smith tells JIS News that there are also plans to paint a mural that is expected to significantly enhance the school’s environment.

 

Second Vice President of JaFSA, Alecia Lewis, who coordinated the project, says a school was chosen, because “we wanted to do something sustainable; and we think that education is an area that can have a long-term impact on people’s lives”.

 

Additionally, Ms. Lewis, who is the Acting Assistant to the Director for the Ministry’s Department of International Organisations, says the choice of a basic school, in particular, is in keeping with the Government’s focus on strengthening early-childhood education by ensuring that institutions’ operations are of the highest standards.

 

“That is the basis of our educational system, because, at the end of the day, if students don’t get the proper foundation between ages one and six, then it will be very difficult for them to learn as they go through the rest of the education system,” she argues.

 

Ms. Lewis says following consultations with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Mission House Methodist Basic School was chosen.

 

Senator Johnson Smith, who points out that early-childhood education is “close to my heart,” tells JIS News that she gave the staff an undertaking to support their project of choice this year and, as such, endorsed the project when it was unveiled.

 

“One of the things we want to keep at the forefront of people’s minds is that even though we are the Foreign Affairs Ministry, we are very much connected to our communities (and committed) to making sure that our work reflects in improvements in the lives of Jamaicans,” the Minister says.

 

President of JaFSA, Denise Sealy, tells JIS News that stakeholder support for activities on Labour Day was very good, as in addition to the Ministry’s staff in Jamaica, there were inputs from the country’s overseas Missions that enabled the acquisition of the materials used.

 

Ms. Sealy, who is the Assistant Director in the Ministry’s Economic Affairs Department, assures that the activities on Labour Day were “the start of what is to come”.

 

For her part, Mrs. Holness praised the Ministry staff for their initiative, noting that it is “very encouraging when persons decide that they are going to select a project…and that’s what Labour Day is about”.

 

“It is not (solely the responsibility of) the Government or the Member of Parliament or the Councillor to choose. The community must also decide what is important and that they are willing to give of their time and input. It should be greatly appreciated when you get a job done in a community where the people have inputted their labour and love,” she adds.

 

Principal Scott tells JIS News that she was “ecstatic” when advised that her school would benefit from the benevolence of the Ministry’s staff.

 

“I am so happy. They could have chosen another school by the mere fact that we are in the rural area of St. Andrew. We all appreciate the fact that they chose our school to do this project,” she adds.

 

Ms. Scott, who has been Principal since 2004, is optimistic that the partnership with the Ministry will go a far way in assisting the school’s quest to attain ECC certification.

 

“We continue to work with the ECC to see how best we can improve the school’s infrastructure and teaching and learning environment, so that we are in alignment with the standards, rules and regulations of the Commission,” she says.

 

School Chairperson, Carmen Bogle, who notes that the institution has been in operation since 1951, tells JIS News that she, too, is pleased with the support that has been extended, adding that the entire community “is very appreciative of what is happening here”.

 

ECC Inspector, Karlene Jackson Jones, who also assisted in the project, tells JIS News that she is pleased with the progress of the school’s upgrading work. “They are pretty close to becoming certified,” she said.

 

Mrs. Jackson Jones advises that a follow-up inspection and assessment will be conducted as soon as installation of the outstanding fixtures at the school is completed, adding that once all the requirements are met, they will become ECC-certified.

 

For parent, Simone Edwards, the Labour Day activity and the long-term partnership by the Ministry “are well needed”.

 

“The school has excellent staff and they are doing a great job, especially the Principal, who goes the extra mile to get projects like these done at the school… and the community greatly appreciates this,” Ms. Edwards tells JIS News.

 

CAPTION: Staff members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade paint playground equipment at the Mission House Methodist Basic School in Gordon Town, East Rural St. Andrew, on Labour Day, May 23.

JIS: The Mission House Methodist Basic School in East Rural St. Andrew is to receive assistance from employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, in its quest to attain Early Childhood Commission (ECC) certification.

 

Members of the Jamaica Foreign Service Association (JaFSA) at the Ministry have committed to forging a long-term partnership with the school, which is affiliated with the Gordon Town Methodist Church and has already attained 79 per cent of the ECC’s certification standards.

 

The Ministry’s staff took the first step to cementing this partnership by carrying out renovation and beautification work at the school as their Labour Day project on May 23.

 

Members, along with Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, and ECC representatives, joined Member of Parliament, the Most Hon. Juliet Holness; members of the school’s administration; parents and other residents in giving the institution the welcome facelift.

 

The work entailed the refurbishing of the play area, ceiling and roof repairs, repainting, and general landscaping.

 

This is expected to propel the school closer to becoming certified, while further enhancing the teaching/learning experience for the 40 pupils and three teachers, headed by Principal, Kassan Scott.

 

The ECC Operating Standards emphasise the need for the creation of environments at schools that meet building, health and safety stipulations for children; the provision of adequate space to facilitate their development and that of the staff; the provision of safe child-friendly equipment and furnishings that promote the children’s optimal development; and safe indoor and outdoor environments for children, staff and visitors.

 

The Ministry’s staff members have indicated that there are further plans to address other features, which they hope to do in due course.

 

These include replacing the school’s roof, erecting a perimeter fence at the rear of the premises, and further enriching the teaching/learning experience by providing additional resources, such as books.

 

Senator Johnson Smith tells JIS News that there are also plans to paint a mural that is expected to significantly enhance the school’s environment.

 

Second Vice President of JaFSA, Alecia Lewis, who coordinated the project, says a school was chosen, because “we wanted to do something sustainable; and we think that education is an area that can have a long-term impact on people’s lives”.

 

Additionally, Ms. Lewis, who is the Acting Assistant to the Director for the Ministry’s Department of International Organisations, says the choice of a basic school, in particular, is in keeping with the Government’s focus on strengthening early-childhood education by ensuring that institutions’ operations are of the highest standards.

 

“That is the basis of our educational system, because, at the end of the day, if students don’t get the proper foundation between ages one and six, then it will be very difficult for them to learn as they go through the rest of the education system,” she argues.

 

Ms. Lewis says following consultations with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Mission House Methodist Basic School was chosen.

 

Senator Johnson Smith, who points out that early-childhood education is “close to my heart,” tells JIS News that she gave the staff an undertaking to support their project of choice this year and, as such, endorsed the project when it was unveiled.

 

“One of the things we want to keep at the forefront of people’s minds is that even though we are the Foreign Affairs Ministry, we are very much connected to our communities (and committed) to making sure that our work reflects in improvements in the lives of Jamaicans,” the Minister says.

 

President of JaFSA, Denise Sealy, tells JIS News that stakeholder support for activities on Labour Day was very good, as in addition to the Ministry’s staff in Jamaica, there were inputs from the country’s overseas Missions that enabled the acquisition of the materials used.

 

Ms. Sealy, who is the Assistant Director in the Ministry’s Economic Affairs Department, assures that the activities on Labour Day were “the start of what is to come”.

 

For her part, Mrs. Holness praised the Ministry staff for their initiative, noting that it is “very encouraging when persons decide that they are going to select a project…and that’s what Labour Day is about”.

 

“It is not (solely the responsibility of) the Government or the Member of Parliament or the Councillor to choose. The community must also decide what is important and that they are willing to give of their time and input. It should be greatly appreciated when you get a job done in a community where the people have inputted their labour and love,” she adds.

 

Principal Scott tells JIS News that she was “ecstatic” when advised that her school would benefit from the benevolence of the Ministry’s staff.

 

“I am so happy. They could have chosen another school by the mere fact that we are in the rural area of St. Andrew. We all appreciate the fact that they chose our school to do this project,” she adds.

 

Ms. Scott, who has been Principal since 2004, is optimistic that the partnership with the Ministry will go a far way in assisting the school’s quest to attain ECC certification.

 

“We continue to work with the ECC to see how best we can improve the school’s infrastructure and teaching and learning environment, so that we are in alignment with the standards, rules and regulations of the Commission,” she says.

 

School Chairperson, Carmen Bogle, who notes that the institution has been in operation since 1951, tells JIS News that she, too, is pleased with the support that has been extended, adding that the entire community “is very appreciative of what is happening here”.

 

ECC Inspector, Karlene Jackson Jones, who also assisted in the project, tells JIS News that she is pleased with the progress of the school’s upgrading work. “They are pretty close to becoming certified,” she said.

 

Mrs. Jackson Jones advises that a follow-up inspection and assessment will be conducted as soon as installation of the outstanding fixtures at the school is completed, adding that once all the requirements are met, they will become ECC-certified.

 

For parent, Simone Edwards, the Labour Day activity and the long-term partnership by the Ministry “are well needed”.

 

“The school has excellent staff and they are doing a great job, especially the Principal, who goes the extra mile to get projects like these done at the school… and the community greatly appreciates this,” Ms. Edwards tells JIS News.

 

CAPTION: Staff members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade paint playground equipment at the Mission House Methodist Basic School in Gordon Town, East Rural St. Andrew, on Labour Day, May 23.

JIS: The Jamaica Intensive Reading Clinic (JIRC) is calling on corporate Jamaica to come on board and donate books and other resources to its week-long islandwide reading camp in July.

 

The camp, which is expected to cater to some 1,500 children between six and 17 years old, will run from July 24 to 28 and will be held at 15 locations across the 14 parishes.

 

Executive Director of JIRC, Santana Morris, said there is an ongoing book drive to acquire material to be used for ‘reading corners’ at each location.

 

She explained that the camp will be targeting children in need of literacy intervention and will address the five main components of literacy – fluency, comprehension skills, vocabulary development, phonemics and phonological development.

 

Literary specialists and principals have been engaged to recommend students most in need of the intervention. Registration forms will also be available online for parents to register their children for participation.

 

“JIRC is a strategic, non-profit, innovative initiative that was created to help students master the art of reading. We gather trained literacy specialists across the island to create special programmes to help students who are having literacy challenges, who are from a low financial background, and others who might even just want to read above their grade level,” Ms. Morris said.

 

The JIRC Summer Reading Camp was first held in 2016 in seven parishes.

 

“This year, we will be having a mixture of activities, including an edutainment package, where we will be inviting different professionals to come in and to speak to the students about why literacy is important and how it applies in their work and field,” she said.

 

She said this is to include nurses, doctors, security personnel, skilled labourers and others from the community, who will demonstrate the value of literacy in their everyday work.

 

“We will be focusing on promoting literacy in our communities. Teachers and the Ministry of Education cannot do it alone, so we have to come together as a nation to help our students to master reading and to eradicate illiteracy in our country,” she said.

 

Children will be screened at the start of the camp to ascertain their level of need and be assigned accordingly.

 

The Executive Director said some 800 volunteers, including 300 teachers, have been accepted to help in the teaching and running of the camps.

 

She explained that the JIRC aims to use culturally relevant books and material to help the youngsters relate to the lessons.

 

The programme is also looking to utilise digital solutions to help children learn to read.

 

“We are hoping to get sponsorship for tablets or laptops that will aid in delivery this year. This will help students develop literacy and create a better foundation for lifelong learning,” she said.

 

The National Youth Service (NYS) has offered to collaborate with the JIRC to provide a stipend for volunteers from the age of 17 to 29.

 

Information on how to donate can be found at the website: www.jamaicaintensivereadingclinic.com and on the JIRC Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts.

 

CAPTION: Executive Director of the Jamaica Intensive Reading Clinic (JIRC), Santana Morris.

GLEANER: In the 10 months since it was launched, the Centre of Occupational Studies (COS) in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information has generated much praise from participants who see windows of opportunities in their chosen career paths.

 

Among recent testimonials received from students was one from Tanya Lewis, who is enrolled in the Fitness Management at the G.C. Foster College of Physical Education.

 

“I’m so happy for the opportunity I got to develop myself in this area, and with my love for sports, along with my nursing background, I know that I am at the right place to become an instructor or physiotherapist.”

 

Synovia Lescene, who is training to be a spa concierge, said: ” My dream is to always have a wide knowledge base of the body, and eventually, as a trained massage therapist, to be competitive in the market and branch out on my own. I was filled with enthusiasm when I got the call to be a fitness expert. I must say I am beyond grateful for this opportunity to contribute positively to my economy.”

 

Otenza Larmond, a special needs educator model and massage therapist, says: “I was told that if I want something, I need to believe that it is mine and ensure that I put in the work to attain it. I believe strongly in the laws of attraction or faith. I was working abroad and totally hated the experience and wanted to come home but didn’t know what I would do if I came back. Then, boom! I was informed by my colleagues that I was selected for a scholarship and that I needed to send in all my necessary paperwork to ensure that I could benefit. Now, I’m basking in happiness because I feel so content with the amazing future this associate degree will afford me. Thank you, COS, you’ll be seeing great things from me. Promise.”

 

Rose-Marie Senior Sergeon, massage and beauty therapist and entrepreneur, said: “The programme has been quite interesting as the curriculum outline covers a wide-range of topics than I have encountered previously. The course has exposed me to what it means to be a well-rounded individual. The most interesting modules to me are psychology, fitness methods, and client documentation. Though the course work is heavy, the resources are there to facilitate us, and for this I am very grateful. I am very happy to be selected for this Associate Degree in Fitness Management. There are no programmes without challenges, and I believe that with our continued communication and team work, we will be a successful group.”

 

For a long time, Jamaica has not offered enough programmes at the tertiary level that could adequately address this need.

 

 

 

OCCUPATIONAL STUDIES

 

 

Recognising this need and in pursuit of a lifelong passion for people to develop their skills and advance professionally, Dr Cecil Cornwall, chairman of the Joint Committee for Tertiary Education, conceptualised and mobilised efforts to realise the potential of higher-level education through occupational studies.

 

Cornwall, a stalwart and veteran contributor to the hospitality industry and higher education in Jamaica, sought the support of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MOEYI) and other public and private entities, locally and internationally.

 

The idea of this integration into the tertiary framework was endorsed by the ministry and cemented the beginning of classical academic training merged with competency-based vocational training, giving birth to what we today call occupational studies. Consequently, the Centre of Occupational Studies, which now resides within the MOEYI, was formally established in July 2016 after being in development for over a year.

 

The Centre of Occupational Studies is tasked with providing a clear and disciplined approach to the establishment of occupational degrees commencing with the occupational associate degrees. An occupational degree is a specialised industry approved degree that focuses specifically on technical and vocational studies. It integrates academic and vocational study, allowing for holistic student-centered learning.

 

The occupational degree certification was designed to bridge the gap between traditional and technical vocational education and training (TVET) education at the tertiary and secondary levels. This new model affords, and will continue to afford, TVET graduates holding the National Vocational Qualification for Jamaica or Caribbean Vocational Qualification (Level Two, Three and Four) to access the advanced occupational skill programme.

 

The occupational degree brands itself with sharp competitive edge through its competency-based approach to dynamic delivery and ongoing assessment. The degree is complemented by aligned industry and professional certification and licensing.

 

In the national development plan for Jamaica as documented in the 2030 National Development Plan for Jamaica, the development of the Jamaican workforce is defined as “one of the critical drivers for national development, economic growth, and sustainability to make the vision of Jamaica the place to do business, work, live, and raise families” a reality.

 

The recently expounded economic growth strategy of the Government of Jamaica is integrally linked to the key roles of education and training in the development of Jamaica. In December 2016, Minister of Education Ruel Reid shared the vision of every working-age Jamaican to have degree-level certification by age 30 and that of occupational certification. This position is in keeping with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information’s policy that competence based education and training be infused in the provision of the services of the education and training sectors.

 

 

 

INSTITUTIONS OFFERING OCCUPATIONAL DEGREES

 

 

– Western Hospitality Institute

 

– Brown’s Town Community College

 

– G.C. Foster College of Physical Education & Sport, Spanish Town

 

– Bethlehem Moravian College, Malvern

 

– College of Agriculture

 

– Excelsior Community College

 

– Caribbean Maritime Institute

 

– Portmore Community College

 

– Northern Caribbean University

 

– Vocational Training Development Institute

 

– Mico University College

 

– University of Technology

 

– University of the Commonwealth Caribbean

 

– Article courtesy of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information.

GLEANER:  Recently, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Clifford Blake spoke about the fact that the police and the courts are unable to keep up with the number of at-risk youth in some communities.

 

“When we look at what is happening in the schools, were it a production line and we were producing criminals at the pace that they are being produced, and they are basically being thrown into the society, the supply would far outpace the demand that we have for them,” he said.

 

Data coming out of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) support Blake’s remarks.

 

Currently, there are approximately 148 million youth, ages 15 to 29, in Latin America and the Caribbean, who make up 40 per cent of the working population.

 

However, one in five youth does not work or study; one in three is at risk; the youth unemployment rate is as much as three times higher than the adult rate in some countries; and six in 10 jobs held by youth are informal.

 

At the same time, half the companies in the region are struggling to find qualified workers, especially for technical and trade jobs, because candidates lack the necessary life skills or abilities for that enable them to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.

 

In Jamaica, the situation is similar, according to statistics the youth unemployment rate stands at 29.6 per cent, which is almost double the national unemployment rate of 12.9 per cent.

 

And according to local employers, young people do not have the necessary life skills to get and keep a job.

 

 

 

IMPROVE LIVES

 

 

In response to this issue, the IDB, through its Multilateral Investment Fund, created the New Employment Opportunities (NEO) for Youth Project. NEO seeks to improve the lives of one million youth throughout 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil by 2022.

 

NEO seeks to close the gap between the skills of young people and the demand among companies for qualified personnel by coordinating and linking the efforts of the main stakeholders in the fields of education and training, the labour market, and the youth.

 

It is NEO’s mandate to be able to address these problems in a systemic manner and not simply through isolated and ad hoc efforts and scaling up effective models of vocational guidance, training, and job-placement services in an effort to increase the quality and relevance of job placement services and job opportunities for poor and vulnerable youth.

 

Each participating country, however, has its own mandate, and specifically, NEO Jamaica will seek to increase job opportunities for 10,000 poor, vulnerable, and low-income Jamaican young people ages 17 to 29, with 50 per cent of that cohort being women. The expected results are to broaden the quality and relevance of training programmes and employment systems for vulnerable young people in the country.

 

Ninety professionals at 11 training and employment centres across the island, the majority of which are operated by the HEART Trust/NTA and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, will be trained according to the NEO Quality Standards Guide.

 

These professionals will also be exposed to more effective teaching methods and more effective career guidance, counselling, and job search assistance measures to help promote closer links between the education system and the labour market.

 

A key aspect of NEO is the Passport to Success life skills training programme, which will be provided by the International Youth Foundation to the selected professionals across the 11 training centres. Passport to Success will help to equip our professionals with the tools to properly impart the necessary life skills to the young people and is one of the best ways to help bridge the gap that exists between the skills of the young people and the skills employers are looking for.

 

These skills include:

 

– Personal competencies (managing strong emotions, setting goals, managing stress, etc)

 

– Solving problems and managing conflict

 

– How to effectively work in teams

 

– Respecting diversity and authority

 

– Leadership, decision making and negotiation skills

 

– Effective presentation skills

 

– Time management

 

The NEO Jamaica Project ends in 2019, but in the long term, we anticipate stronger emphasis on soft-skills training and job-placement services; increased knowledge among youth of the importance of soft skills; and greater willingness on the part of the private sector to employ poor and vulnerable youth.

 

If we are able to assist our school system in turning out young people who can finally meet employers’ needs while at the same time enhancing our overall youth workforce, we would have effectively done our part in advancing the growth and development of our beloved country in a meaningful way.

 

[email protected]

JIS: Some of the country’s community colleges have taken steps to incorporate Business Process Management and Logistics-related programmes into their curriculum, in a move that aligns with the strategic direction of the Government and respond to the emerging needs of the Jamaican economy.Executive Director of the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ), Dr Donna Powell Wilson, said at least one college already offers an Associate’s Degree in Business Process Management. She was in addressing a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘ Think Tank’ on Thursday, May 25.

 

The Portmore Community College took the lead in developing the curriculum, which has been made available to other colleges across the island. An additional two colleges will start offering the programme in September.

 

“We have also established relationships with the BPO industry, so our learners will have the opportunity to do their work experience in some of those institutions,” Dr Powell Wilson said, adding that the CCCJ seeks to ensure that colleges are always responding effectively to the demands of the labour market.

 

She noted that community colleges have, in the meantime, been offering BPO and logistics-related programmes, such as the Associate in Business Studies and the Associate in Engineering Studies. The CCCJ will be developing a professional certification for persons who have completed those programmes.

 

“That certificate will (show they have) the competency and skills for them to operate in the BPO, at a step above entry level,” Dr Powell Wilson said.

 

Meanwhile, Principal of Knox Community College and President of the Association of Principals and Vice Principals of Community Colleges, Dr Gordon Cowans, said the swift response of the colleges to the emerging needs of the economy speaks to the flexibility of the sector.

“We are able to respond to not just the immediate community needs but also to the national economy’s demands. So we are very proud,” he said.

Dr Cowans further noted that the community colleges will in a few weeks, through collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, facilitate the training of high school students for entry level students in Business Process Outsourcing.

 

Some 3,000 to 4,000 youth will participate in the training, which will utilize the facilities and other resources of the community colleges.

 

There are eight community colleges in Jamaica in 25 different locations across the island. They are the Bethlehem Moravian College, Moneague College, the College of Agriculture Science and Education (CASE), Excelsior Community College, Montego Bay Community College, Brown’s Town Community College, Portmore Community College and Knox Community College.

 

CAPTION: Executive Director of the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica, Dr Donna Powell Wilson, (Photo: JIS)

JIS: As part of the ongoing public education campaign on child protection, representatives from several ministries and agencies participated in a sensitisation session with residents of Whitehall Avenue, Kingston 8, yesterday (May 24).

 

Included were the Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR), the Child Development Agency (CDA) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). They took part in a walk-through, engaging members of the community on child-protection measures.

 

The event also featured the unveiling of a refreshed mural of abduction victim, Ananda Dean, who attended a primary school in the community. She was reported missing on September 17, 2008 and was found dead sometime after.

 

To honour her memory, the national child recovery strategy – the Ananda Alert System – was established, replacing the Red Alert.

 

It aimed to mobilise the public and private sectors, civil society and communities to work with law enforcement to assist in the speedy and safe recovery of missing children.

 

State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, who spoke at the function, said the artwork honours the memory of the young community member, whose life was tragically cut short, and serves as a reminder that all well-thinking Jamaicans should do their part to protect children.

 

“It reminds all of us that we have a responsibility to take care of our children. I want to commend the OCR and the CDA for ensuring that the mural is always kept in good condition in memory of her,” the State Minister said.

 

He pledged the continued support of the Ministry in protecting the nation’s youth, and reminded persons that the updated reporting timeline now allows persons to make a missing-person report before 24 hours have passed.

 

“When it is suspected that the child has gone missing, there is no need to wait 24 hours to make a report. Once you reasonably believe that your child is missing, you can report it, so that the police can start acting on it, because every minute is important when a child has gone missing,” the State Minister said.

 

Meanwhile, Head of the Ananda Alert Secretariat, Nathalie Ferguson, told JIS News that the initiative has been making a significant impact in the recovery of missing children.

 

“For 2016, we had 1,725 children reported missing. Of that number, 90 per cent were either returned or recovered. Unfortunately, four children who were reported missing were found dead, but the vast majority were returned or recovered,” she said.

 

Ms. Ferguson noted that at the end of 2016, the number of missing children stood at 265. She anticipates that the work of the Secretariat and the various public education initiatives in the child protection sector will influence a decline in this figure as more children are recovered and reunited with their families.

 

For his part, Member of Parliament for the area, and Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda, urged adults, particularly men, to show greater respect and care for children.

 

Father of Ananda Dean, Richard Dean, supported the call by the Minister, and lauded the proactive efforts of government, law enforcement and child-protection agencies in ensuring the safety of children.

 

“It is great to see the work being done to keep her memory alive and to keep other children safe,” he said.

 

CAPTION: Member of Parliament for St. Andrew North Central and Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda (third left), comforts Richard Dean (second left), grieving father of abduction victim, Ananda Dean, at the refreshed mural of the young girl on White Hall Avenue, Kingston 8, where Ananda attended a primary school. She was abducted and murdered in 2008. Occasion was a sensitisation session on child protection with members of the Whitehall Avenue community by representatives of several government and child-protection agencies, on May 24. Others (from left) are grandmother of Ananda, Darcy Williams; State Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green; Chief Executive Officer of the Child Development Agency (CDA), Rosalee Gage-Grey and three-year old sister of Ananda, Peyton Dean.