JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is working with stakeholders to ensure the delivery of a first-rate national apprenticeship system for Jamaica.

 

Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said the system will be crafted from established models in countries such as Australia and Singapore.

 

He informed that under the proposed programme, grade 11 students can enter into an apprenticeship system or complete their formal schooling, after which it becomes mandatory.

 

He said the programme will “cut off the flow of unattached youth” as it provides for a “seamless education system.”

 

“In the Australian model, it is mandatory that every youth who wants to transition into the formal economy to go through an apprenticeship programme as supported by the private sector. That is the model I want to have. It therefore solves your social problem and mismatch in terms of your need for the kind of skills for the different job opportunities,” he pointed out.

 

Senator Reid was addressing Tuesday’s (Feb.14) opening of a Labour Market Forum under the theme: ‘Apprenticeship for the XX1 Century: A Model for Latin America and the Caribbean’ at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston.

 

He noted that the apprenticeship system will provide employers with a reservoir of certified and trained skills.

 

He informed that the pay for the apprentices will start at about minimum wage and once they transition into employment, the full-time compensation package will flow.

 

For her part, General Manager of the IDB Country Department Caribbean Group, Therese Turner-Jones, noted that an effective apprenticeship system can contribute to the transformation of the workforce and promote economic development.

 

She said it has the potential to address youth unemployment, increase productivity, and ultimately make the country more competitive.

 

Mrs. Turner Jones noted that countries with advanced apprenticeship programmes show a low level of youth unemployment.

 

She cited the United Kingdom, where 70 per cent of employers have reported increases in their productivity and the quality of their products and services as a result of an apprenticeship programme.

 

She said there is evidence in Brazil, which shows that trainees, having completed an apprenticeship programme, have a greater chance of finding a formal job and earn higher wages in the short and medium-term.

 

“Apprenticeships can provide young people with real jobs plus more practical accessible training than formal education. It can equip them with the ability to move forward in their careers and also develop their life skills,” she pointed out.

 

The two-day Labour Market Forum is being hosted by the Planning Institute of Jamaica in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the HEART Trust/NTA.

 

The main objective is to disseminate labour market information to a select group of participants to facilitate informed career choices, while at the same time influencing policy and programme development.

 

Participants will engage in discussion on transforming the labour market to promote social and economic development through apprenticeships. Previous fora have looked at various topics such as unemployment, insurance and labour market reform.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), makes a point to Director General, Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Wayne Henry, at the opening of a Labour Market Forum at the Spanish Court Hotel in St. Andrew today (February 14). The two-day event is being hosted by the PIOJ in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the HEART Trust/NTA.

JIS: Launched officially in November last year, a project to improve the competencies of employers, employees, retirees and students has garnered so much demand that the target for participants has been significantly increased.

 

The three-year Upskilling and Retooling Jamaica programme, implemented by HEART Trust/NTA, in collaboration with the Joint Committee for Tertiary Education (JCTE), targeted the training of approximately 3,000 persons each year. However, having trained 2,700 persons as at January 31, the target was moved to 10,000 per year.

 

This is according to JCTE Chairman, Dr. Cecil Cornwall, speaking at the launch of an Absorptive Capacity Programme recently.

 

He said a team of project officers has been going to communities across the island meeting with youth club leaders, children’s homes, Members of Parliament and councillors.

 

“They will be visiting every parish in Jamaica over the next few months to ensure that training is brought to the four corners of the country,” Dr. Campbell said.

 

He announced that large companies, such as Digicel Jamaica, have come on board, with the agencies to implement the programme with their employees.

 

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addressing the launch of the $30-million project in November, said it demonstrates the creativity being brought to the sector in offering relevant and practical programmes for persons, particularly youth.

 

“This launch comes in the context of greater demands by employers and employees for relevant training to meet the needs of the workplace. There is also the clamour for training by self-employed persons to enable them to do a better job in service delivery and increase their earning potential,” he said.

 

Senator Reid said this is also in line with a policy priority by the Ministry to promote and foster a culture of lifelong learning and professional development.

 

The programme, which the Minister said will help to equip the general labour force with skills to advance to high-paying jobs, while also improving the mindset of employees towards greater levels of productivity, will improve employee readiness, retention, and productivity, in particular, impacting sectors targeted by the Government for growth and expansion.

 

It includes technical skills and leadership training, managed through the Leadership Academy by the JCTE and the Professional Skills Academy by the HEART Trust/NTA. Professional development certification will be issued to participants upon successful completion of the programme.

 

The upskilling project is based on four specific principles – acknowledgement of the need to address skills deficits; creation of programmes aligned with occupational standards; investment in the workforce towards economic and employment growth; and creating public-private partnerships to increase access.

 

CAPTION: Chairman of the Joint Committee for Tertiary Education (JCTE), Dr. Cecil Cornwall (right), looks on as Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (left), is greeted by Chairman of the HEART Trust/NTA, Maxine P. Wilson (2nd right), ahead of the launch of an Absorptive Capacity Programme by the institution, in partnership with the Joint Committee for Tertiary Education on February 2 at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston. At second left is Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid.

JIS: Schools across the island will join in the national observation of Jamaica Day on Friday, February 24, under the theme: ‘Celebrating Jamaica: Exploring Our Legacy In A Global Context’.

 

Senior Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Marlon Williams, who launched Jamaica Day at a recent ceremony at the Herbert Morrison Technical High School in Montego Bay, St. James, said the mission of the day’s observation is to encourage an appreciation for the nation’s cultural heritage, especially among students.

 

“Jamaica Day is an annual event designed to contribute to citizenship education and to enhance the appreciation for Jamaica’s rich heritage and culture which builds positive identity in our students and, by extension, our nation,” he explained.

 

The national Jamaica Day observation ceremony will take place at the Green Island High School in Hanover.

 

Mr. Williams said students and teachers as well as members of the society are expected to wear the national colours on that day, while schools are expected to be decorated accordingly.

 

“We are expecting that the Jamaican colours will be worn by everyone in all entities and sectors on that day as a symbol of our commitment to celebrating the many legacies that have made and are making Jamaica one of the greatest nations on earth,” he said.

 

Mr. Williams is also encouraging schools to research their history and on Jamaica Day they should focus the observation on their own legacies.

 

Jamaica Day, which is part of the Culture in Education Programme, was instituted in the nation’s schools by the Ministry of Education in an effort to celebrate what is called ‘Jamaicanness’ and the country’s contribution to the world.

 

CAPTION: Members of the Green Island High School Choir performing during the launch of Jamaica Day 2017 at the Herbert Morrison Technical High School in Montego Bay recently. Green Island will host the national Jamaica Day celebration ceremony on Friday, February 24.

JIS: The Government has approved $11 million to commence the pilot project aimed at strengthening the School Feeding Programme.

 

The funds are allocated in the 2017-18 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives.

 

Estimated at $60 million, the pilot project will run until March 2019, and will be carried out in four school clusters across the island.

 

It seeks to improve collaboration between Government, private sector and non-government organisations (NGOs) involved in school feeding, and mobilise communities to provide agricultural produce for the programme.

 

The Government is expected to provide $24 million for the initiative, with external entities such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) committing support.

 

So far, promotions for the programme have been done among school principals, teachers and other staff members, and community stakeholders.

 

CAPTION: In this file photo, Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), and Special Advisor, Robert Miller (centre), examine bulla cakes manufactured by Nutrition Products Limited, during a tour of the entity on Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston on January 31. At left is Chief Executive Officer of Nutrition Products, Orville Lewinson.

JIS: Long-serving Principal of Herbert Morrison Technical High School in Montego Bay, St. James, Paul Adams, has been awarded the 2016 Outstanding Principal of the Year by the Jamaica Teaching Council.

 

The award was presented to Mr. Adams by Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, during a recent ceremony at the school.

 

“We are celebrating our 40th anniversary this year and it is the rule of thumb that when a school achieves, it must be called the Outstanding Principal Award. So, I collect the award on behalf of the institution,” said Mr. Adams.

 

Principal of Herbert Morrison since 2002, Mr. Adams tells JIS News that as leader of the school, he feels honoured to accept the award.

 

He says the recognition was made possible by the hard work of every member of the school community – academic, ancillary and security staff as well as the 1,200 students.

 

“When I came here, I found 15 teachers who were more qualified to be the Principal and there were about 20 persons who were brighter than me…what I could not carry out myself, I found somebody who could do it better and I let them do it. We got better results,” the Principal says.

 

Mr. Adams paid tribute to the founding Principal of the school, Lloyd Whinstanley, “who laid a solid foundation for the current leadership and even those to come.”

 

He also highlights the performance of students at Herbert Morrison in all areas, especially external examinations, pointing out that despite the many distractions, they have remained focused on getting a good high school education.

 

“These students are the greatest set of kids. Their behaviour is superb and their performance is top of the line. We have a no cell phone policy and what the students have done is to convert their cell phones into a resource library, so when you see them on their cell phones, you will see they are actually doing their schoolwork,” Mr. Adams says.

 

In a citation from the Jamaica Teaching Council, Mr. Adams, who served the Jamaica Teachers’ Association as its 47th President, was lauded for his astute management of the 40-year-old school, obtaining high marks in all areas and giving students a good secondary education.

 

“His efforts led to significant improvements in the areas of science, modern technology and technical and vocational education. He enabled his school to etch its way into pride of place on the landscape of high schools. His analytical and reflective abilities led him in 2004 to establish a sixth form using meagre resources. In time other, Principals emulated his courage and established their sixth form. Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations 2016 results have been outstanding – 100 per cent of students passed in 10 subjects,” the citation read.

 

The Education Minister, in paying tribute to Mr. Adams, cited the vision with which he has been leading the institution.

 

“Mr. Paul Adams has had the vision and foresight to have been able to go from the beginning all the way to the top, because we have at Herbert Morrison Technical grades 7 to 13. We need radical thinking and transformation and Mr. Adams has been a visionary and what we see now is an expansion of opportunities beyond grade 11. He has more students in grades 12 and 13,” the Minister said.

 

He added that the work of Mr. Adams and his team at Herbert Morrison has started the early positioning of the school to ensure that its students are ready to take advantage of opportunities which will come under the “fourth industrial revolution.”

 

“What is happening here at Herbert Morrison is very instructive of what we want to see happen across the education system and our country in transforming the education system for our children.

 

What I have said in simple terms is that we want all our students now to have education extended to at least age 18. Herbert Morrison is very much in sync with the global trends for the fourth industrial revolution,” Senator Reid said.

 

CAPTION: Education Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), presents Paul Adams, Principal of Herbert Morrison Technical High School, with his Outstanding Principal Award on behalf of the Jamaica Teaching Council.

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information held a sensitisation session with critical stakeholders to discuss the upcoming merger of the National Youth Service (NYS) and Jamaican Foundation for Life Long Learning (JFLL) with the HEART Trust/NTA.

 

Addressing the session held on February 9 at the Jamaica College campus, Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the merger will “mainstream and integrate our training and education systems” in order to reach more persons through targeted training.

 

“What we intend to do in this merger is to look strategically at how we can pull these entities together under one umbrella so we can have more focus and more reach,” he said.

 

This, he said, will go a far way in addressing some of the social problems in the country.

 

Executive Director of HEART Trust/NTA, Dr. Wayne Wesley, noted that the merger, which is slated to take effect on April 1, comes at a time when the Government is focused on reforming the public sector to ensure greater levels of efficiency and effectiveness.

 

The move, which includes integration of the HEART Trust/NTA’s National Apprenticeship Board, will facilitate a national coordinating machinery for youth services; an integrated supply chain of education with increased access to lifelong learning opportunities; and greater access to training, certification and employment opportunities with a focus on youth and underserved communities.

 

“It is an opportune time for an event such as this as we face the choice of how best to invest resources to address the needs of current and future generations… the merger and the further integration of the apprenticeship programme is one step in that direction,” Dr. Wesley said.

 

He noted that the stakeholder group, comprised of senior managers, board members and staff, is a critical part of the merger and teams will be mobilised to work on each stage of the process, which includes the visioning exercise, the pre-merger, the due diligence and the planning and integration.

 

“With your help, the new organisation will continually assess the skills of our nation’s people with a view of ensuring they are equipped to take full advantage of the emerging opportunities,” he said.

 

“By leveraging our synergies in our programmes, policies, plans and processes, we will create an organisation that will provide skills and employment opportunities to improve the socio-economic conditions of our youth, and equip learners and employees and future entrepreneurs with the knowledge, skills and attitude for a prosperous nation,” he noted further.

 

The merger forms part of the Government’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

 

A key aspect of the programme is the reorientation and transformation of the public sector to reposition public resource allocation towards infrastructure, social protection and security-related spending.

 

It is anticipated that this will transform the public sector into being more efficient and delivery-focused; modernise the monetary policy framework and build the foundation for an eventual move to inflation targeting; bolster the resilience of Jamaica’s financial system; and implement initiatives that unlock Jamaica’s growth potential and promote private sector job creation.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), addresses staff of the National Youth Service (NYS), Jamaican Foundation for Life Long Learning (JFLL), the HEART Trust/NTA and the National Apprenticeship Board during a sensitisation session to discuss the upcoming merger of the entities, held on February 9 at Jamaica College in Kingston.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the $5 billion increase in budgetary support to the education sector is a true reflection of the Government’s unwavering commitment to improving the system.

 

An allocation of $98.7 billion has been made for education in the 2017-18 Estimates of Expenditure from over $95 billion in 2016-17.

 

Addressing the closing ceremony of the Early Childhood Commission’s (ECC) four-day retreat at the Iberorstar Hotel, St. James, on February 9, Senator Reid said the Government is fully cognisant that “nothing of significance can happen by way of growth without first taking education into consideration”.

 

“I have been fortunate to have been supported by the Government in terms of making additional accommodation for the funding of the education system. In fact, if you look at the budget, we have gotten one of the largest increases of any Ministry,” he noted.

 

The Minister said the onus is now on the nation’s teachers to perform, ensuring value for money and for students to make that seamless transition from early childhood to tertiary learning.

 

“What we have now is the capacity for every student to go beyond grade 11. There has now been a change of philosophy which I believe is for the better. In this modern-day industrial revolution, I don’t agree with the notion that high school should be terminated at grade 11. You need more time in school…you need higher education and training. In fact, we need more of the population to have tertiary certification,” he said.

 

The Minister said since assuming his portfolio responsibility, he has always sought to have meaningful dialogue with stakeholders before making policy decisions.

 

“As a former Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) President, I know the importance of having dialogue, of engaging the stakeholders,” he said.

 

“It is very important to get persons to the table…to get them to see whatever it is you are trying to do and to arrive at a consensus. It is impossible to agree on everything but it is very important to have a conversation,” he added.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), attends the closing ceremony of the Early Childhood Commission’s (ECC) four-day retreat at the Iberostar Hotel, St. James, on February 9. At left is Sector Planner for the ECC, Maria Myers Hamilton.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the Government will be looking at bringing the emoluments of early childhood educators on par with personnel in similar positions in the Ministry.

 

“I know we have to take care of the financial needs and issues of those who have been doing a great job and laying the foundation in early childhood education. The good news is that as an agency of the Ministry of Education we are committed to doing so,” he pointed out.

 

“We have to recognise that at the end of the day, these are wonderful people that we must look out for. We have to treat them properly…we have to treat them special. We have to do a good job in transforming the early childhood sector and to do so we have to ensure that the people are properly taken care of and where they are motivated to do their best,” he added.

 

The stipend paid to early childhood education teachers have increased by 15 per cent per year since 2014.

 

Senator Reid, who was addressing the closing ceremony of the Early Childhood Commission’s (ECC) four-day retreat at the Iberostar Hotel in St. James on February 9, noted the Government’s commitment to the development of the sector, as it is the foundation for all learning.

 

“If we can get it right at early childhood, then that is going to provide a strong foundation for a very productive and prosperous country,” he noted.

 

“We have to get the early childhood institutions to be fully certified…we really should insist that we operate at the highest standard. Persons who are serving at any level, much less in early childhood, should be properly trained and have their facilities in exceptional conditions,” he pointed out.

 

The Minister said that by promoting and maintaining certain standards, this will prevent persons from putting up an early childhood institution “at the back of their yard.”

 

“I am signalling that this ought not to be tolerated,” he said.

 

“Persons who want to start an early childhood institution, even before they get permission to start, they should meet some basic standards before they are allowed to operate,” he stressed.

 

Senator Reid said he is aware of the growing sentiments that Government should simply take over early childhood, considering its importance and the fact that it needs to have the necessary resources for it to function properly.

 

“That is a discussion that we have to have,” he said. “I am waiting for the ECC board to put together a task force to advise me as to what this is going to cost. It will be really helpful knowing what it will require to bring these institutions up to the certifiable standards and how the Government can assist them in doing so,” he said.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, receives a gift of appreciation from Early Childhood Commission (ECC) Acting Executive Director, Karlene Degrass-Deslandes, after addressing the closing ceremony of the ECC Retreat at the Iberostar Hotel, St. James, on February 9.

JIS: The Government will be spending $641 million in its continued thrust to end the shift system in schools by providing additional classrooms over the next financial year.

 

From the money allocated in the 2017-18 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House, $100 million will also be spent to procure equipment for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) academies.

 

The ongoing $5 billion Education Transformation Programme, being implemented by the National Education Trust (NET), is enabling the construction of new classrooms to end the overcrowding in the schools.

 

Expansion projects will take place at five primary schools, seven high schools, and continued work on five high schools; completion of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information and the Mount St. Joseph High School.

 

Projects carried forward from the last budget, and are set for completion are those at Norman Manley High School, Papine High, Cedric Titus, Sydney Pagon, and Bellevue High.

 

Expansion work will take place at Exchange Primary, Bryce Primary, Campbell’s Castle Primary, Dias Primary and Infant, and Mandeville Primary and Junior High Schools.

 

Construction of classrooms will also take place during the new financial year at: Innswood High, Muschett High, Pembroke Hall, Spanish Town High, and Eltham High Schools.

 

CAPTION: Additional classrooms constructed at the Discovery Bay All-Age School, to remove the institution from the shift system. They were built through the Jamaica Social Investment Fund’s (JSIF) Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) programme. (File)

JIS: Students are being encouraged to utilize the National Security Ministry’s ‘Stay Alert’ mobile application, among other measures, if their safety is threatened.

 

This urging comes from Director of Safety and Security in Schools, Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Coleridge Minto, consequent on an upsurge in violence against the nation’s children.

 

He was speaking with JIS News last week during a visit to Green Pond High School in St. James, which recently lost one of its students, 15-year-old Shineka Gray, to violence.

 

Noting that the app has been endorsed by the Education Ministry, ASP Minto assured that “once you have downloaded it if, thereafter, you are in any form of difficulty, you can send a panic signal to our police control and a response will be made.”

 

He also encourages parents, teachers and other civic-minded members of the society to utilize the app.

 

Meanwhile, ASP Minto has lauded the Jamaica Constabulary Force‘s (JCF) implementation of the “buddy” system, citing it as “another very good security measure.”

 

He said the initiative which encourages persons to, among other things, travel in groups to minimize the risk of violent attacks, should be adopted, particularly by students.

 

Additionally, he said, out of an abundance of caution, students and members of the wider public should secure as much information as is possible about the public passenger vehicles transporting them and the drivers, in the event of an undesirable incident.

 

Meanwhile, ASP Minto said there has been a reduction in the number of violent incidents among students in schools. He, however, is concerned that these have been transferred to the streets and public spaces where there has been notable upsurge.

 

He said the provision of transportation for students and the posting of security officers along certain routes are among the measures which have been implemented to good effect to protect the youngsters while travelling to and from school.

 

CAPTION: Director of Safety and Security in Schools, Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Assistant Superintendent of Police Coleridge Minto.