Some 88 young Jamaicans are set to benefit from a new industry-led apprenticeship initiative aimed at strengthening the country’s hospitality workforce and creating a direct pathway from training to employment.

The Hospitality Apprenticeship Programme (HAP), a partnership between the HEART/NSTA Trust and Sandals Corporate University (SCU), was officially launched during a ceremony at the Cardiff Hotel and Spa in St. Ann, on July 13, under the theme ‘Bridging Training and Industry Excellence’.

The inaugural cohort, drawn from St. Ann, St. Mary and Westmoreland, will receive structured training in food and beverage restaurant service management, housekeeping operations, culinary arts and hotel property maintenance before being placed at Sandals resorts in St. Ann and Westmoreland for hands-on industry experience.

Managing Director of the HEART/NSTA Trust, Dr. Taniesha Ingleton, said the initiative reflects the organisation’s commitment to equipping young Jamaicans with the practical skills and workplace experience needed to meet the demands of one of the country’s most important economic sectors.

“This programme has been designed to provide young Jamaicans, including NEET individuals (not in education, employment or training) and recent graduates of the Sixth Form Pathways Programme, with structured work-based training in hospitality apprenticeship,” she said.

Dr. Ingleton noted that tourism continues to play a critical role in Jamaica’s economy, pointing out that the country welcomed a record 4.15 million visitors in 2024, generating approximately US$4.3 billion in earnings.

“The world continues to choose Jamaica, but when visitors choose Jamaica they’re not only choosing our beaches, our food, our music or our landscape. They are choosing our people,” she said.

The Managing Director emphasised that apprenticeship provides a practical solution to youth unemployment by moving participants “from potential to productivity, from interest to competence and from training to real employment”.

For her part , Deputy Managing Director of the HEART/NSTA Trust, Dr. Cheryl McLaughlin, said months of planning and collaboration between the two organisations laid the foundation for the programme’s successful launch.

She underscored that participants were recruited following an extensive selection process and have already completed orientation sessions covering workplace health and safety, sexual harassment prevention, financial management, and the rights and responsibilities of employers and employees.

Dr. McLaughlin said the apprentices will first undergo intensive employability skills training, including Team Jamaica Member certification, CPR and First Aid, and Hotel Guest Practitioner instruction before transitioning to occupational skills training, leading to nationally recognised National Vocational Qualification of Jamaica (NVQ-J) certification.

“This programme represents much more than training, it represents opportunity. It demonstrates what can happen when industry and training institutions work together with a common purpose, and that is to build a pipeline of skilled talent that can contribute immediately to service excellence while at the same time creating meaningful livelihoods for our people,” she said.

Senior Corporate Director at Sandals Corporate University, Dr. Luz Longsworth, described the initiative as a landmark partnership that will help prepare a new generation of hospitality professionals capable of competing globally.

“Today is not just launching another training initiative. Today is about opportunity. Today is about partnership. Today is about transforming your potential into achievement and today is about ensuring that Jamaica continues to produce world-class hospitality professionals who can compete anywhere in the world,” she said.

The Hospitality Apprenticeship Programme forms part of ongoing efforts by the HEART/NSTA Trust and Sandals Corporate University to strengthen workforce development by aligning training with the evolving needs of Jamaica’s tourism industry.

Public schools across Jamaica will receive an additional $757.5 million in funding for the upcoming 2026/27 academic year.

The disclosure was made by Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, during Wednesday’s (July 15) Post Cabinet Press Briefing at Jamaica House.

“On average, every public school is getting 55 per cent more funding from the Ministry of Education. That’s a significant increase and you’ll see the increase is actually higher for primary schools and special needs institutions,” she said.

Dr. Morris Dixon explained that the Ministry consolidated the existing grants into an operational grant and then added the increase.

She pointed out that school administrators have the flexibility to decide how the funds are used based on defined parameters.

“Twenty-five per cent of the amount given should be used towards administration. Repair and maintenance is 20 per cent of the grant. There is also learning environments, so getting material in for teaching and learning or working on new initiatives around teaching and learning, 30 per cent of the grant can be used on that,” she shared.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) has an allocation of 15 per cent, while 10 per cent of the grant is to be used for student welfare.

“The grants have already started going out. Every public school, in the second week of June, would have gotten their first tranche and the first tranche is 30 per cent. The second tranche goes out the first week in September and then the third tranche goes out in December,” the Minister said, adding that the second and third tranches are 15 and 20 per cent, respectively.

Dr. Morris Dixon shared that the increased subvention varies based on population and other factors such as the number of students enrolled on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH).

In a document obtained from the Ministry, it said annual allocations for operations now range from approximately $1 million to $4.8 million.

Under the current funding model, infant schools received an operational grant of $500,000 for the first 150 students, plus $2,700 per additional student, as well as a $150,000 maintenance grant, resulting in a minimum annual allocation of $650,000 to cover the operations of the school.

“The new framework increases the minimum allocation to $1,000,000 and will provide an additional $25,942,900 in operational grant support for the 64 stand-alone infant schools, increasing total funding from $46,657,100 to $72,600,000,” the document read in part.

At the primary level, the minimum allocation will be $1 million, up from $650,000.

Under the current model, special educational institutions are funded based on the grade level of the students.

Infant and primary students are funded similarly at $500,000 for the first 150 students plus $2,700 per additional student, while secondary students are funded at $17,000 per student with a maintenance grant of $150,000, resulting in a minimum annual allocation of $650,000.

“The proposed framework increases the minimum allocation to $3,500,000 and the maximum to $9,500,000 and will increase operational grant support for 13 special educational institutions from $25,145,800 to $50,536,800 over two years,” the document said.

At the secondary level, the minimum annual allocation of $2.385 million for operations will be increased to $7 million.

Acting Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth & Information, Terry-Ann Thomas Gayle (right), shares a photo opportunity with (back row from left) Jodi Ann Mullings, Vice Principal, St. Mary’s College, Annmarie James; Akeem Mitchell; Christine Howell; Chief Executive Officer ,e-Learning Jamaica, Andrew Lee; Oral Gayle; Community Relations Education Officer, Kereen Reid; Monique Davis-Porter; and Principal, St Mary’s College, Ryan Williams. Seated is student, St Mary’s College, Nathaniel Perkins.  The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth & Information introduced the IXL Interactive Online Learning Platform as a targeted intervention to support 1,625 grade seven students experiencing challenges in English Language and Mathematics across 56 National School Learning and Intervention Plan (NSLIP) secondary schools. Funded through the Jamaica Education Project (JEP) and supported by e-Learning Jamaica Limited through the provision of tablets, the initiative seeks to improve student outcomes through technology-enabled learning. St Mary’s College has emerged as a leading school in the use of the platform recording more than 10,500 questions answered and over 200 skills mastered.

The importance of school gardens in strengthening food security, healthy living and environmental sustainability was underscored during the recently held National School Garden Grand Exhibition 2026.

Held at the José Martí Technical High School in St. Catherine, under the theme ‘From the Farm to the Table’, the exhibition showcased vibrant displays from participating institutions across Jamaica, highlighting the contribution of school gardens to nutrition and agricultural education, and recognition of outstanding projects.

Scores of schools received top awards, while several regions were recognised for their commitment to promoting agriculture and food production among students.

Regional Director in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Sophia Forbes-Hall, said the theme served as a powerful reminder of the need to promote food security, healthy nutrition, environmental sustainability and self-reliance among young people.

She noted that the project has grown beyond gardening by contributing to school feeding programmes, encouraging healthy eating habits, strengthening environmental awareness, promoting entrepreneurship and supporting Jamaica’s national food security and sustainable development goals.

The Regional Director commended principals, teachers, education officers, judges, sponsors and community partners for their commitment to the initiative while paying special tribute to the students, whose enthusiasm and creativity continue to drive the programme’s success.

Presenting the Chief Judge’s Report, Assistant Chief Education Officer, Dr. Olivine Evans, said this year’s exhibition recognised 67 schools that have successfully sustained their gardens.

She said that the project was expanded to include infant schools, primary schools, special education institutions and learning centres, making the competition more inclusive.

She noted that judging extended beyond the exhibition itself, with more than 70 judges from the Ministry, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Heart Foundation of Jamaica and other partners conducting on-site assessments at participating schools.

She said the judges assessed school gardens based on community involvement, garden quality, environmental management, biodiversity and curriculum integration. Displays at the exhibition were evaluated for visual appeal, originality, relevance to the theme and overall impact, while participating schools were also required to prepare creative dishes using produce from their gardens.

These culinary entries were judged on the use of garden produce, creativity, nutritional value, culinary quality and sustainability.

Dr. Evans highlighted several strengths observed during the adjudication process, including the high level of student interest, strong community involvement, well-maintained gardens, adherence to safety standards and the effective use of resources provided to schools.

She expressed gratitude to the judges, teachers, parents, students and partner organisations, including the World Food Programme, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Sagicor, Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ), for supporting the initiative.

The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information will be investing $15 million to establish a smart greenhouse laboratory at Thompson Town High School in Clarendon during the 2027/28 academic year.

This was announced by Permanent Secretary, Dr. Kasan Troupe, during her address at the institution’s school-leaving ceremony on Tuesday (June 30).

For the upcoming academic year, Dr. Troupe announced that the school will receive a special grant of $6 million, along with a $1.5-million increase in its operational grant and an additional $1 million to support its industrial lab.

The Permanent Secretary also pledged to donate a 60-inch television to the institution from her personal funds.

“I have seen your Principal’s passion, and as the Permanent Secretary, it is my responsibility to support that journey… because the students here, they deserve it. They have made the sacrifice.

They have worked hard, and today we celebrate them in this transitioning exercise.” she affirmed.

Drawing on her own life and accomplishments, Dr. Troupe encouraged the graduates to work diligently in pursuit of success, reminding them that their starting point does not determine their destination.

The Permanent Secretary shared that, as a young student, she did not pass the common entrance high-school placement examination.

“I did not see my name in the paper… . I had that experience. But I am here to testify that it’s not about where you have started; it’s where you are going, and it’s also about what you do with the experience that you have got. You blossom, you bloom where you are planted,” Dr. Troupe said.

She noted that she attended Trench Town Comprehensive High School in Kingston, which, like Thompson Town High, was not regarded as one of the island’s top schools.

“But that didn’t stop my journey of excellence, and ought not to stop the journey for your boys and your girls,” Dr. Troupe told parents.

She noted that after leaving Trench Town High, she went on to attend The Mico University College and later the University of the West Indies, graduating at the top of her class with First Class Honours at each institution.

Today, I am the Permanent Secretary in the largest ministry in the government. This is the highest job in the public service in my country. So for that little girl from a school like Thompson Town… it can be done,” Dr. Troupe affirmed.

She urged the graduates to reject excuses and adopt a mindset of intentional excellence, emphasising that hard work and success are inseparably linked.

“Excellence and hard work are very good friends; you will not see one without the other. So if you want that intentional success, you must embrace hard work,” the Permanent Secretary maintained.

She emphasised that the Government has established mechanisms such as the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB) to support students in achieving academic excellence.

“[The Ministry also] provides scholarships for young people every single year. All they have to do is to go on the website and apply. There are opportunities,” Dr. Troupe added.

She has been teaching for more than 20 years but was thrust into the spotlight recently with the release of this year’s Primary Exit Profile (PEP) results.

Dian Dennis is the teacher of the top primary-school PEP performer, Jasonnia Beadle, from Park Mountain Primary and Infant School in St. Elizabeth.

Mrs. Dennis has been teaching Jasonnia since last September when she entered grade six and is proud of helping to guide her to success.

She describes the top performer as quiet and reserved, who has to be called on to participate or respond in class but who is always correct when she does.

“She’s always on point; even if she doesn’t answer, everything is on point but if she gets it wrong, she always comes to ask, what was wrong with it. She is okay with explanations and her homework assignments are on point and perfect. She has never been late with her homework,” a proud Mrs. Dennis said.

The teacher spoke with JIS News when Education Skills, Youth and Information Minister, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, visited the institution on June 25, to offer personal congratulations to the celebrated student.

The more than 400 students enrolled at the school were still on a high at the achievement.

Mrs. Dennis said that Jasonnia has an almost perfect attendance record but in the event that she is absent, she will call to request work that she has missed. She takes responsibility for her school work and is always reading or studying with other students. She is also consistent in her work.

“She has been performing at the top level from grade four and makes time for the Brownies club, is an avid reader and plays online games. She is not much of a playing child but she reads a lot. Because she is so focused, I expect her to keep on excelling,” Mrs. Dennis said.

The veteran teacher told JIS News that her star pupil is “intrinsically driven”.

“We have motivational sessions every morning and they repeat their affirmations. Jasonna is motivated and you won’t come into class to find her chatting or playing,” she pointed out.
Jasonnia will join her cousins at Hampton School for Girls come September, and Mrs. Dennis is expecting her to continue to excel.

With Josannia’s success, Mrs. Dennis, who has been at Park Mountain since 2009, said the expectation is for even greater accomplishments next year, telling JIS News that she is up to the task.

While noting the challenges, she said she is in the profession for the long haul and has no plans to leave the country or her Jamaican students.

Mrs. Dennis shared that everything she does is in the best interests of her students, noting that she is motivated when they do well.

“It’s not the salary that keeps me; it’s moments like these. It doesn’t matter the set of students I get each year, by the end of the year, I am extremely proud of them,” she told JIS News.

Eight schools across Kingston and St. Andrew will be outfitted with hydration stations as part of the Hydrate Caribbean Jamaica: Healthy Students, Healthy Futures initiative.

The project aims to increase students’ water consumption, reduce dependence on sugary beverages, and foster healthier lifestyle choices while promoting sustainable habits through the use of reusable water bottles.

Beneficiary schools include Tarrant High, Clan Carthy High, Kingston Technical High, Pembroke Hall High, Edith Dalton James High, Oberlin High, Papine High, and Mavis Bank High.

The National Education Trust (NET) is partnering with Newport Water Limited, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Diabetes Association of Jamaica to facilitate implementation of the project, which is scheduled to begin in July.

Addressing Thursday’s (June 25) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at Clan Carthy High School in Kingston, Deputy Chief Education Officer for Curriculum and Support Services in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Dr. Winnie Berry, noted that discussions about education often focus on curriculum reform, teaching quality, student performance, and assessment outcomes.

“These are important areas of focus. However, learning does not take place in isolation from the broader conditions that affect our students on a daily basis. A student’s ability to participate, concentrate and engage meaningfully in the classroom is influenced by a wide range of factors, including health and well-being,” she said.

Dr. Berry emphasised that ongoing research consistently indicates how hydration supports concentration, attention, and overall cognitive functioning.

She further explained that when students are unable to stay adequately hydrated throughout the school day, their ability to fully participate in learning activities may be compromised.

“The initiative is further strengthened by an educational component that encourages healthy lifestyle practices and increased awareness of personal health and wellness. While the act of accessing clean drinking water may appear simple, the cumulative effect of creating healthier school environments should not be underestimated,” Dr. Berry said.

She urged the students at the beneficiary schools to take full advantage of the hydration facilities provided.

“Pay close attention to the health messages that accompany this initiative. Developing positive habits at an early stage can have lasting benefits throughout your educational journey and beyond,” Dr. Berry underscored.

Newport Water Limited Project Lead, Sheridan Greaves, explained that the initiative originated in Barbados.

“Since 2020, this programme has accumulated 5.1 million bottle fills in Barbados. These are not bottles that had to be recycled and collected. These were bottles… that didn’t end up in our landfills… didn’t end up in our oceans and gullies,” he explained.

Mr. Greaves said he is anticipating the positive impact the initiative will have across the eight beneficiary schools and throughout Jamaica, as the entity pursues corporate sponsorship to support its expansion.

“I would like to thank the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for their significant contribution to Hydrate Caribbean. They took the extra step to provide funding, not only for the stations themselves, but for stainless steel reusable water bottles for each and every single student at these eight schools, as well as 13 schools back home in Barbados,” Mr. Greaves disclosed.

Meanwhile, Senior Vice Principal at Clan Carthy High School, Laurel James, said the institution is deeply grateful to be selected as one of the pilot sites for the project.

“It is a commitment to the long-term well-being of our students. By providing accessible, purified drinking water, you are actively supporting our health, improving our daily concentration and encouraging habits that will last us a lifetime,” Mr. James said.

He encouraged students to make the conscious choice to drink water, stay hydrated, and care for the station that has been generously provided to their school.

The Government has earmarked $310 million to rebuild and strengthen St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS)in Santa Cruz.

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, made the announcement while addressing the school’s graduation ceremony on June 25, held under the theme ‘Through Challenges We Rise: Embracing Resilience and Achieving Success’.

Dr. Morris Dixon said the investment is part of a broader, multibillion-dollar national effort to rebuild more than 400 schools that sustained damage when the category-five Hurricane Melissa swept across the island in October last year.

“We have 400 schools that have been damaged across Jamaica and all of them we are trying to build back at the same time. You know, that’s a very difficult feat; it’s very hard,” Dr. Morris Dixon outlined.

The Minister pointed out the scope of work being carried out at STETHS, such as redesigning the male and female dormitories with reinforced concrete roof slabs and additional supporting columns to improve structural stability to better withstand future storms.

Also, the damaged teachers’ cottage and the principal’s residence are being upgraded, while the grade-11 block will receive reinforced purlins beneath new 24-gauge industrial roof sheeting, she noted.

Dr. Morris Dixon said additional strengthening works will be carried out across the campus to withstand high winds, heavy rainfall and other extreme weather conditions.

In the meantime, the Minister said that STETHS will become home to Jamaica’s first high-school mechatronics and robotics laboratory when students return in September.

She indicated that the state-of-the-art facility forms part of a $400-million investment by the Ministry, using funding from the HEART/NSTA Trust, to strengthen technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in technical high schools across the island.

“We believe that our students at STETHS, or any of the other technical high schools in Jamaica, must have the best technology at their fingertips,” Dr. Morris Dixon underscored.

Addressing the graduating students directly, the Minister encouraged them to mirror the resilience being built into their school’s walls.

She acknowledged that life would bring setbacks and moments of disappointment but urged them to keep moving forward and to view closed doors not as failures but as redirections.

To celebrate the outstanding performance of Primary Exit Profile (PEP) students of Park Mountain Primary and Infant School in St. Elizabeth, Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, visited the institution on Thursday, June 25.

The visit was particularly special, as 11-year-old Jasonnia Beadle of the school had emerged as Jamaica’s top primary school student in the PEP examinations.

Dr. Morris Dixon celebrated the achievement by donating a laptop to both Jasonnia, the school’s Head Girl, as well as the school’s Head Boy, Najhay Nish, who secured a spot at Munro College.

The Minister said that both students alongside their peers were proof that talent and potential exist across every part of Jamaica, regardless of how remote or rural the community might be.

“I’m so glad you get to be highlighted, to get all this publicity because it was hard work. It’s not just something that just happened. It is something that has taken place because of the leadership and the school community,” Dr. Morris Dixon outlined.

She praised the students’ maturity and confidence, noting that their comments reflected the quality of teaching and preparation taking place at the school, despite the impact of Hurricane Melissa in October last year.

The Minister also commended the principal, the school Board and the teaching staff for transforming the institution into an “elite school”.

She noted that the school’s Mathematics and English initiatives, which she observed during a previous visit, have clearly borne fruit and that this achievement is a direct result of deliberate actions and strong leadership.

“So, what I’ve learned from interacting with the head boy and the head girl, who is that number-one primary student, is that success can be had in our schools where we put in the initiatives,” Dr. Morris Dixon explained.

“Also, the parents are very involved, the PTA is here and involved, and that says a lot. So, you have a school with excellent leadership, you have excellent teachers, you have a community that is involved – that is how we get success,” she added.

Dr. Morris Dixon pointed out that the Government remains committed to supporting schools across the island, so that more students can realise their potential and achieve academic excellence.

 

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Dr. Kasan Troupe, has charged the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica (BCJ) to maintain a high standard of content monitoring for the advancement of the nation.

An independent statutory agency under the Ministry, the BCJ is charged with monitoring and regulating the electronic media sector (free-to-air television, broadcast radio, and subscriber/cable television) to ensure it operates within appropriate programming, technical, and service standards.

Speaking to JIS News at the BCJ’s 40th anniversary conference held at the AC Hotel Kingston on Thursday (June 25), Dr. Troupe commended the agency for safeguarding standards and ensuring that citizens, particularly the youth, are receiving safe and clean content, by watching behind the scenes to eliminate excess vulgarity and violence.

“The BCJ is set up for a big reason and we are proud,” Dr. Troupe said.

“As we celebrate our conference this year, we’re looking to see how we can pivot and continue to respond to the need to educate our public about misinformation, disinformation and the risk of scams in the media,” she said.

She emphasised the Commission’s role in the nation’s transition from analogue to digital television, emphasising ongoing collaborative efforts to distribute set-top boxes, educate communities, and ensure equitable access to digital broadcasting services for all Jamaicans.

Executive Director of the BCJ, Cordell Green, said the conference is not only a commemoration of the BCJ’s 40 years of service but also a timely national conversation about the future of Jamaica’s media and communication landscape.

He said it has been phenomenal to see the evolution of technology over the four decades and the extent to which the world has been transformed through artificial intelligence (AI), particularly over the last two to three years.

Mr. Green said he is excited about the prospects for young people and urged them, as they seek to capitalise on the opportunities, to “remember, we are anthropomorphising devices, smart devices. Do not allow yourselves to function inferior to any machine or any device. Innately, we are very powerful people, so let us continue being human-centric. Use these devices ethically”.

“AI is not about doing more with less; it’s about doing more for more people. I hope young people will use AI in that way to do more for themselves, more for their communities, and ultimately more for Jamaica, and that they will also recognise that we have a tremendous gift in free-to-air and over-the-air radio and television,” he said.

The conference, under the theme ‘Legacy. Transformation. Future’, examined the future of media, broadcasting, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, trust, radio, youth engagement and media regulation.