JIS: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, has hailed the work of Youths for Excellence Limited in assisting students to reach their highest potential.

 

“I found it important that young people had come together to form this organisation, and I was further impressed that the sphere in which they decided to give back is education.

 

“There is nothing that has a more transformative power than education… . I think it takes a special ilk to recognise that an investment in the next generation is the best investment to make right now,” he added.

 

Mr. Green was speaking at the organisation sponsors’ appreciation banquet held on September 20 at the Andrews Seventh-day Adventist Church in St. Andrew.

 

Founded three-years ago by Je?nine Shepherd when she was just 17 years of age, Youths for Excellence Limited is a non-profit organisation that tutors children aged 11 to 13, primarily in inner-city communities, and provides them with free health checks, school supplies and food.

 

He challenged more young persons to find creative ways to address social ills.

 

“Across our society, there are a lot of needs and a lot of areas that you can decide are important and as young people you can coalesce around. More of our young people, even without resources of their own, can come up with ideas that can spark interest that can create change. The fact that this organisation was founded by young persons signifies that it is time for (youth) to take charge of our country in a real way,” he said.

 

“You have shown what young people can do when they mobilise and organise. I see this as an opportunity to say to our youth, let us come together and form organisations around the things we are passionate about,” he added.

 

Mr. Green also commended the Youths for Excellence sponsors for their generosity and for “taking a leap of faith” in providing financial assistance to young persons volunteering their time and effort for a worthy cause.

 

Meanwhile, Ms. Shepherd, now 20 years of age, and a Neuroscience and Economics major at Amherst College in Massachusetts, said when she started Youths for Excellence the intention was to do some tutoring in the summer.

 

She said she soon learned that the initiative required a holistic approach as the students required the proper nutrition and materials to absorb the information they were being taught.

 

She expressed her gratitude to the sponsors for enabling the organisation to reach students in need.

 

“Tutoring the children is one thing, but ensuring that my efforts are effective and that the students benefit from what my team and I try to do, is another thing. You can try to drill information into a student’s head, but it is pointless if they are hungry or in poor health or simply have nothing to use as study materials,” she shared.

 

Sponsors included Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Restaurants of Jamaica Limited, Logo Stitch Manufacturing Limited, Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) Limited, GraceKennedy Group, RJRGleaner Communications Group and Gorgeous Flowers Jamaica.

 

Youths for Excellence Limited has assisted over 250 students attending Cockburn Gardens Primary and Junior High, and Franklin Town and Pembroke Hall Primary schools.

 

CAPTION: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (right), receives a painting as a token of appreciation from Founder and Principal Director of non- profit organisation, Youths for Excellence Limited, Je?nine Shepherd. Occasion was a sponsors’ appreciation banquet hosted by the entity on September 20 at the Andrews Seventh-day Adventist Church in St. Andrew. Youths for Excellence Limited is a non- profit organisation that tutors children aged 11 to 13, primarily in inner-city communities, and provides them with free health check-ups, school supplies and food.

JIS: Parents of students sitting the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) are being assured that enough materials will be provided to adequately prepare students for the upcoming examination.

 

Speaking at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Portmore at the Jamaica Employers’ Federation (JEF) headquarters on Ruthven Road in Kingston on September 19, Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said sample items and practice materials are to be made available to the education system and will be accessible free of cost.

 

“We’re going to also have these practice materials online (on) an exclusive website. All materials necessary for assisting in preparing our students, as well as teachers to deliver the National Standards Curriculum (NSC) and PEP, are going to be made available to the society,” he pointed out.

 

The NSC aims to enhance the quality of education offered to learners and improve the general academic performance, attitude and behaviour of students, which will redound to the positive shaping of the national, social and economic fabric.

 

The curriculum, which is learner-centred and emphasises problem-solving skills, will help to realise the mantra of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information that ‘every child can learn… every child must learn’.

 

Addressing the concerns of some parents who had purchased workbooks designed for the obsolete Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), the Minister insisted that students will have “limited preparation in utilising those books for PEP”.

 

He urged parents not to panic, as the Ministry will “provide the core curriculum texts for the (primary school) system”.

 

Senator Reid said he has instructed the Chief Education Officer, Dr. Grace McLean, to investigate “how wrong information might have gotten out there”.

 

“I got one particular complaint from a primary school where it has been alleged that a secretary sent out the wrong information. However, this is an isolated incident and not general. I want parents and the parent-teacher associations (PTAs) to be vigilant to ensure that schools are conforming to the Ministry’s directives,” he said.

 

The PEP replaces the GSAT as the national secondary-school entrance test and is intended to provide a better and more complete profile of students’ academic and critical-thinking capabilities at the end of primary-level education.

 

It comprises a Performance Task, Ability Test and a Curriculum-based Test. Students who entered grade six in September 2018 will comprise the first PEP cohort.

 

The Education Ministry has been training teachers for implementation of the examination.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left), presents a copy of the National Standard Curriculum and materials of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) to Naggo Head Primary School student, Rashard Gordon, at a meeting of the Portmore Rotary Club at the Jamaica Employers’ Federation headquarters on Ruthven Road in Kingston on September 19. At right is the club’s President, Vicki Hanson.

JIS: As part of its violence-prevention and early intervention efforts, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, through its Safety and Security in Schools Unit, has secured 500 metal detectors for the 2018/19 school year, up from the 130 detectors procured in 2017.

 

Director of Safety and Security in the Unit, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Coleridge Minto, who made the disclosure at the opening of the ‘Chance, Choice, Change’ (Triple C) Day Camp on September 19 at the Caymanas Golf and Country Club, St. Catherine, said 30 walk-through scanners have also been secured for this school year, up from five in 2017.

 

The equipment was secured through the Ministry’s partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which has provided US$3 million in funding under the Safe Schools Programme (SSP).

 

Mr. Minto said funding has also been provided for perimeter fencing, cameras, capacity-building training and support to uniformed groups in schools.

 

He noted that the introduction of these measures is part of a multifaceted approach by the Ministry to create a safe school environment.

 

“The SSP involves a paradigm shift in the area of student behaviour and discipline. It emphasises prevention and early intervention strategies in dealing with the social, emotional and behavioural difficulties experienced by some students,” ASP Minto explained.

 

One of the strategies is the behaviour modification camp, ‘Chance, Choice and Change’, which commenced during the summer. It targets students in school, aged 15 to 18, who have been in conflict with the law and are on probation.

 

Speaking with JIS News, State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, lauded the initiative and said the Ministry remains committed to finding creative solutions to address the issue of deviant behaviour among youth.

 

“It is a great model for expanding our reach. Targeting probationers is a very good drive because we have always said we can’t just focus on in-school youth; we have to focus on out-of-school youth as well. The truth is, young people interact, and when you treat with probationers and you get them on the right track… they can then become models and mentors for other young people,” he said.

 

“There is nothing more powerful than seeing a youngster who has made a mistake and has now turned his/her life around,” the State Minister added.

 

Mr. Green said the Ministry will be working with the Ministry of National Security and the HEART Trust/NTA to monitor these young persons to see the impact that the camp has had and to provide additional support to keep them positively engaged.

 

The camp forms part of the activities for Anti-Gang Week 2018, which is being observed from September 16 to 21under the theme ‘Gang Life Equals No Life’.

 

It is organised by the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime (C-TOC) Branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), in collaboration with the Safety and Security in Schools Unit and the Department of Correctional Services.

 

CAPTION: Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Coleridge Minto, Director of Safety and Security in Schools Unit, Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, addresses the opening ceremony for the ‘Chance, Choice, Change’ (Triple C) Day Camp on Wednesday (September 19), at the Caymanas Golf and Country Club, St. Catherine. The event forms part of activities for Anti-Gang Week 2018, being observed from September 16 to 21 under the theme ‘Gang Life Equals No Life’.

JIS: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, on Wednesday (September 19), officially opened the region’s first Festo Authorised and Certified Training (FACT) Centre at the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) in Kingston.

 

The state-of-the-art facility, which will deliver international certification in industrial automation and mechatronics, is the result of a partnership between the CMU and globally renowned German training institute, Festo Didactic.

 

The Centre, which is the largest to be established globally, has the capacity to train and certify more than 4,000 students annually.

 

Prime Minister Holness, who delivered the keynote address, said the facility’s development is consistent with Jamaica’s commitment “to develop our human resources, so [that] they are second to none and to develop our institutions, so that they are modern and internationally competitive”.

 

He noted that the world is on the cusp of the fourth industrial revolution, which integrates physical, digital and biological technologies, and the scope and complexity of transformation requires that “we must be cutting-edge and ensure that high standards are the norm and not the exception”.

 

He said the Centre will ensure that graduates are “instilled with analytical and creative habits of thinking and an aptitude for discernment and sound judgement that can guide them through a lifetime of achievement and success”.

 

“It is through equipping our human resources to be productive and competitive that we will attain the potential and will for positive growth and development,” he pointed out.

 

In his remarks, Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon, Ruel Reid, said the FACT Centre has provided the Caribbean with the largest cutting-edge engineering training capacity.

 

“The CMU, as we all know, has already soared to national, regional and international acclaim… and now partnering with Festo… will bring the university to even higher heights. I am confident that this addition to the CMU campus will yield fantastic results,” he added.

 

Festo Didactic Regional Director for the Americas, Dr. Theodoros Ktistakis, noted that the FACT Centre’s opening culminates six years of discussions with the CMU, and will provide training opportunities for young people in a “modern and motivating environment”.

 

He said that the training and certification that will be provided at the CMU, through the FACT Centre, “will have worldwide acceptance”.

 

“The training facility, which we inaugurate today, and the CMU’s team, which are trained and certified, are the guarantors that education and skills development correspond to international standards. Festo, as a long-time partner of CMU, will constantly support you and will be at your side,” he assured.

 

For his part, CMU President, Professor Fritz Pinnock, described the FACT Centre’s establishment, as a “journey with a vision”, adding that “this is only the beginning, as we [will be] leapfrogging into the future” through the training and certification provided.

 

Other key partners in the development of the FACT Centre include the PetroCaribe Development Fund, which provided US$402 million of the US$700-million-plus expenditure on the facility, and HEART Trust/NTA, which will partner with the CMU in programme delivery.

 

CAPTION: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (left), tries out a hydraulic training device in a laboratory at the Festo Authorised and Certified Training (FACT) Centre located at the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) in Kingston. The occasion was a tour of the facility following its official opening on Wednesday (September 19). Looking on are Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right); and FACT-certified trainer, Ricardo Hopwood.

JIS: The Government has earmarked lands located at the Maxfield Park Children’s Home in Kingston for the construction of a therapy centre for wards of the State affected by mental health issues.

 

The Urban Development Corporation (UDC) has already drafted a preliminary design for the facility and it is expected that construction will begin sometime next year.

 

Funding for the project is expected to be provided by the Government through the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), with additional funding support being sought from stakeholder groups.

 

State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, said the facility is necessary, “to give direct psychiatric intervention” and “provide long-term intervention” for wards.

 

“In our assessments, we are finding that the children need more dedicated support, and oftentimes, the Child Guidance Clinics are overburdened with the amount of children they have to see, especially those with severe mental health issues,” he noted.

 

He informed that the therapy centre will be different from the clinics, as it will provide more “strategic and long-term attention” to children in need of mental health support.

 

Mr. Green was speaking to JIS News at the official opening of the newly constructed independent living complex for 40 females at 24 Lady Musgrave Road in St. Andrew on September 18.

 

Completed at a cost of $135 million, the complex will provide housing accommodation for the females, aged 18-21, who have exited State care and have no other living options, over a period of two years.

 

Two other facilities are expected to be completed – one in Mona by November to house 12 girls, and the other for boys in St. Elizabeth next year.

 

These facilities form part of a multi-agency project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) over a period of six years at a cost of US$5.2 million.

 

In her remarks, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Rosalee Gage-Grey, said the fully furnished and luxurious state-of-the art facility will assist the former wards in their development towards adulthood.

 

“The CPFSA continues to provide an atmosphere of transformation for our children by allowing them to reach their highest potential in a safe, nurturing environment,” she said.

 

“It is our primary goal to equip our children preparing for adulthood with an education and the requisite skills needed for this change to occur,” she continued.

 

Mrs. Gage-Grey said her agency is aiming to ensure that youngsters are confident and ready to exit the protection system and to make a smooth transition towards independent living.

 

The University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus, which acted as project manager, will continue to work with the CPFSA to develop programmes for the youngsters at the facility.

 

Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of the UWI Open Campus, Dr. Luz Longsworth, said support will be provided through mentorship and other means.

 

USAID Country Representative to Jamaica, Jason Fraser, for his part, said the independent living complex will significantly help with providing a safe space to allow youth, who have “aged-out” of State care to achieve their goals.

 

Boasting seven four-bedroom suites with double- and single-room accommodation, the facility has shared living, dining and kitchen spaces. It also includes a manager’s suite with separate office space and laundry facilities.

 

CAPTION ONE: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (second right), observes as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Rosalee Gage-Grey (foreground); and Deputy Principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus, Professor Julie Meeks (left), unveil signage at the newly constructed independent living complex for former female wards, at 24 Lady Musgrave Road in St. Andrew on September 18. Looking on are Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of UWI Open Campus, Dr. Luz Longsworth (second left); Chargé d’Affaires at the United States Embassy in Kingston, Eric Khant (third left); and Opposition Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Lisa Hanna (right).

 

CAPTION TWO: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (third right) looks on as Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus, Dr. Luz Longsworth (second left), symbolically hands over keys to an independent living complex for former female wards of the State, to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Rosalee Gage-Grey (second right). Occasion was the official opening of the complex, located at 24 Lady Musgrave Road, St. Andrew on September 18. Others from (left) are United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Country Representative to Jamaica, Jason Fraser; Chargé d’Affaires at the United States Embassy in Kingston, Eric Khant; and Opposition Spokesperson of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Lisa Hanna.

JIS: At-risk youth between eight and 25 years of age who reside in volatile and vulnerable communities in five parishes are to benefit from the Jamaica Social Investment Fund’s (JSIF) implementation of an $18-million behaviour change programme over the next eight months.

 

The target communities include Denham Town, West Kingston; Waterhouse, St. Andrew; Portmore, Spanish Town and Bog Walk, St. Catherine; Lionel Town, Clarendon; and Granville and Tucker, St. James.

 

Contracts for the programme’s implementation were signed by JSIF Managing Director, Omar Sweeney, and representatives of partner non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that will work with community stakeholders, during a ceremony at the agency’s head office in New Kingston on Tuesday (September 18).

 

The Behaviour Modification Initiative/Community-based Behaviour Change Programme, which forms part of phase four of the European Union (EU)-funded Poverty Reduction Programme (PRP IV), aims to reduce deviant behaviour among the target beneficiaries through a range of social services and interventions.

 

These include conflict resolution, mentorship, the performing arts, sports, and training and soft skills development for employment.

 

Each parish will be allocated $3.6 million of the earmarked $18 million, to undertake activities.

 

This will be supplemented by communities’ contributions, facilitated by NGOs through various inputs, totalling $1.8 million.

 

These entities include the Multicare Youth Foundation, Family and Parenting Centre, Women Media Watch Jamaica, University of the West Indies Social Welfare Training Centre, and Peace and Love in Society (PALS).

 

In his address, Mr. Sweeney said that the behaviour-modification project is consistent with the country’s long-term National Development Plan – Vision 2030 Jamaica, specifically Goal #1, of ensuring that “Jamaicans are Empowered to Achieve their Fullest Potential”.

 

“I’m happy that [the] focus will be on behaviour modification and that this funding will support the work you, the NGOs, do every day,” he added.

 

Social Officer at JSIF, Taneisha Stoney, said the NGOs will partner with grassroots entities, such as community development councils, community-based organisations and youth clubs, to implement various programmes, which are expected to get under way on Wednesday (September 19).

 

She said it is anticipated that these interventions will yield that 15 per cent reduction deviant behaviour target under goal four of the PRP.

 

Meanwhile, JSIF Project Manager, Celia Dillon, said the agency welcomed the EU’s ongoing grant support, through which “we are able to help you fund another cycle of your programmes… because they are extremely important in our… fight [to reduce] poverty”.

 

CAPTION: Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) Managing Director, Omar Sweeney (centre), signs a contract for implementation of the $18-million Behaviour Modification Initiative/Community-based Behaviour Change Programme, at the agency’s head office in New Kingston on Tuesday (September 18). The initiative, which forms part of phase four of the European Union (EU)-funded Poverty Reduction Programme (PRP IV), aims to reduce deviant behaviour among at-risk youth, aged eight to 25, in volatile and vulnerable communities in five parishes, through a range of social services and interventions. Observing are representatives of two of the stakeholder partners (from left): Head, University of the West Indies Social Welfare Centre, Cerita Buchanan; and Executive Director, Family and Parenting Centre, Dr. Beverley Scott.

JIS: At-risk youth between eight and 25 years of age who reside in volatile and vulnerable communities in five parishes are to benefit from the Jamaica Social Investment Fund’s (JSIF) implementation of an $18-million behaviour change programme over the next eight months.

 

The target communities include Denham Town, West Kingston; Waterhouse, St. Andrew; Portmore, Spanish Town and Bog Walk, St. Catherine; Lionel Town, Clarendon; and Granville and Tucker, St. James.

 

Contracts for the programme’s implementation were signed by JSIF Managing Director, Omar Sweeney, and representatives of partner non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that will work with community stakeholders, during a ceremony at the agency’s head office in New Kingston on Tuesday (September 18).

 

The Behaviour Modification Initiative/Community-based Behaviour Change Programme, which forms part of phase four of the European Union (EU)-funded Poverty Reduction Programme (PRP IV), aims to reduce deviant behaviour among the target beneficiaries through a range of social services and interventions.

 

These include conflict resolution, mentorship, the performing arts, sports, and training and soft skills development for employment.

 

Each parish will be allocated $3.6 million of the earmarked $18 million, to undertake activities.

 

This will be supplemented by communities’ contributions, facilitated by NGOs through various inputs, totalling $1.8 million.

 

These entities include the Multicare Youth Foundation, Family and Parenting Centre, Women Media Watch Jamaica, University of the West Indies Social Welfare Training Centre, and Peace and Love in Society (PALS).

 

In his address, Mr. Sweeney said that the behaviour-modification project is consistent with the country’s long-term National Development Plan – Vision 2030 Jamaica, specifically Goal #1, of ensuring that “Jamaicans are Empowered to Achieve their Fullest Potential”.

 

“I’m happy that [the] focus will be on behaviour modification and that this funding will support the work you, the NGOs, do every day,” he added.

 

Social Officer at JSIF, Taneisha Stoney, said the NGOs will partner with grassroots entities, such as community development councils, community-based organisations and youth clubs, to implement various programmes, which are expected to get under way on Wednesday (September 19).

 

She said it is anticipated that these interventions will yield that 15 per cent reduction deviant behaviour target under goal four of the PRP.

 

Meanwhile, JSIF Project Manager, Celia Dillon, said the agency welcomed the EU’s ongoing grant support, through which “we are able to help you fund another cycle of your programmes… because they are extremely important in our… fight [to reduce] poverty”.

 

CAPTION: Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) Managing Director, Omar Sweeney (centre), signs a contract for implementation of the $18-million Behaviour Modification Initiative/Community-based Behaviour Change Programme, at the agency’s head office in New Kingston on Tuesday (September 18). The initiative, which forms part of phase four of the European Union (EU)-funded Poverty Reduction Programme (PRP IV), aims to reduce deviant behaviour among at-risk youth, aged eight to 25, in volatile and vulnerable communities in five parishes, through a range of social services and interventions. Observing are representatives of two of the stakeholder partners (from left): Head, University of the West Indies Social Welfare Centre, Cerita Buchanan; and Executive Director, Family and Parenting Centre, Dr. Beverley Scott.

JIS: The Mineral Heights Primary School in Clarendon is the latest institution to be taken off the shift system by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information.

 

This follows the addition of 12 new classrooms under the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF).

 

Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, in his remarks at the official handover ceremony on Thursday (September 13), informed that the nearby May Pen Primary School is next in line to be removed from shift.

 

He noted that infrastructure is needed to accommodate at least 1,500 students.

 

“It (May Pen Primary) is one of the largest primary schools in the Caribbean. Already, my technical officers are in the field doing the verification, so that we can plan for that expansion and development,” he informed.

 

He gave the Government’s commitment to enable the transition of all schools to full day institutions.

 

“We still have primary and high schools that are on shift… so we have some urgency in which to expand our capacity to ensure everybody has an equal opportunity to attend school at the regular time and get the benefit of a full day programme,” Mr. Reid said.

 

Mr. Sweeney, in his remarks, said that JSIF is committed to the advancement of education in Jamaica.

 

“In our 21 years at JSIF, education has been the key aspect of our investment in communities. In excess of 40 per cent of all the funds we’ve received have been invested in education, and that is estimated to be close to $8 billion to date,” he pointed out.

 

Principal of Mineral Heights Primary, Lanzeford Howell, expressed gratitude for the new classrooms.

 

“Our students are now able to benefit from a whole-day education that provides them with the enriched activities that children are supposed to benefit from in primary school,” he said.

 

He noted that teachers can now focus more on enriching the lives of students.

 

“We are in the era of promoting learning, critical thinking, and this facility that JSIF has contributed to the school will help us in terms of getting our children to function as 21st century learners,” Mr. Howell added.

 

Funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the BNTF makes provision for projects geared towards improvement in education, transportation, enterprise development, water and sanitation services in member countries across the region.

 

Ten primary schools in seven parishes have benefited from upgrading through the BNTF at a cost of $642,497,824.28. From this investment, five of the 10 schools were able to transition from the shift system to full day school.

 

In total, 82 new classrooms were constructed or rehabilitated with bathrooms and ramps for disabled students to access. Approximately 10,396 students and 313 teachers have benefited.

 

The project includes improving the security at the schools through erecting perimeter fencing.

 

Also at the handover ceremony were Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for Central Clarendon, Hon. Mike Henry; and Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security and Member of Parliament for Clarendon South East, Hon. Rudyard Spencer.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), enteracts with students at Mineral Heights Primary School in Clarendon after a ceremony on Thursday (September 13) to officially hand over 12 new classrooms. Looking on (from left) are Principal of the school, Lanzeford Howell; and Managing Director, Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), Omar Sweeney. The new clarooms have facilitated the transition of the school from the shift system.

MOEYI: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, the Honourable Floyd Green has endorsed a Declaration on education and training for employment issued at the first-ever G20 Joint Education and Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting held recently in Mendoza, Argentina.

 

The G20 noted that technological innovation along with other social, economic and environmental transformations were having a significant impact on global economies and societies as well as changing job requirements and skills demand. As such they reiterated the importance of promoting opportunities for people to acquire new skills throughout their professional and personal lives, so that they can successfully adapt to change. 

 

The Ministers noted the importance of promoting a holistic, inclusive and lifelong learning approach in skills development policies that respect human rights. Also highlighted was the importance of prioritizing skills development among vulnerable and underrepresented groups, which are at higher risk of exclusion and marginalization. 

 

Jamaica was invited as a special guest representing CARICOM and in his presentation, Minister Green outlined Jamaica’s curriculum and assessment reforms and new brain builders programme. Ministers highlighted the importance  

 

21st century skills and provided update on the state of implementation of various skills policies in their respective locale. Minister Floyd Green presented on the World’s Greatest Lesson which showed-case Jamaica’s involvement in teaching the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in schools and committed to ramping up sensitization in this area.

 

In their Final Declaration the G20 pledged to support the implementation of measures across a range of policies that increase skills development for an inclusive and equitable “Future of Work”, taking into account respective national circumstances. Guidelines for implementation included:

?Promoting the acquisition of strong foundation skills, including numeracy and literacy for all children and youth; and assisting low skilled adults in need of stronger foundation skills.

?Promoting entrepreneurial skills including leadership, initiative taking, sustainability, organizational development and innovation, as entrepreneurship can facilitate job creation, economic growth and social cohesion.

?Fostering STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) skills in order to emphasize the integration of fields of knowledge with creativity.

?Encouraging the enhancement of digital literacy and digital skills such as programming, big data analysis, coding and robotics in education and work environments as age appropriate.

?Encouraging strategies that apply digital technologies in education and on-the-job-training to upgrade employees’ digital skills taking into account individuals and enterprises’ needs in order to address regional disparities in access to services.

?Promoting Technical and Vocational Education and Training to improve employability and access to quality jobs, combined with active labour market policies and public and private employment services.

?Improving teachers’ and trainers’ competencies and skills through professional development opportunities enabling them to deliver high-quality and up-to-date teaching with technology.

?Supporting schools and training institutions with appropriate infrastructure, administrative capacity and resources necessary to successfully develop 21st century skills among people of all ages.

 

BACKGROUND

The G20 is an international forum for the governments and central bank governors from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States

 

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says more public education is needed to raise awareness about mental health issues to offer help and hope to persons suffering from the disorder.

 

“We need to significantly increase public and private sensitization to the issues of depression and other mental health challenges in workplaces, schools, churches, prisons, public and private sector organizations and indeed all public and private spaces,” the Minister said.

 

He was delivering the keynote address at the Choose Life International (CLI) World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) Seminar, held on September 14 at the Jamaica Conference Centre, in Kingston.

 

The seminar was held under the theme: ‘Working Together to Prevent Suicide’.

 

The Minister commended the non-governmental organization (NGO), CLI, for organizing the seminar, which sought to train individuals how to detect signs and how to provide support to individuals suffering from suicidal thoughts.

 

“I thank Dr. Donovan Thomas, President and Founder of CLI, for the admirable work which he and his hard-working team continue to do. While many are content to sit, talk or just look, CLI has been doing. They have been helping to restore hope to many Jamaicans, who for one or several reasons, are overwhelmed by the heaviness, urgent and never-ending demands of modern life,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, Dr. Thomas told JIS News that the seminar was staged for all well- thinking Jamaicans with a passion for helping this vulnerable group.

 

“We have brought together students, police officers, guidance counsellors, pastors, youth leaders and medical doctors willing to help grapple with the issue of how to help people at risk for suicide,” he said.

 

The seminar featured presentations by Clinical Director of the Medical Services Branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), Dr. George Leveridge;                           

 

Director of Child and Adolescent Mental Health in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Judith Leiba-Thomas, and Consultant Psychiatrist at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), Dr. Terrence Bernard.

 

Topics covered included: ‘Understanding the Suicide Mind’; ‘Teens, Schools and Suicide: When Educational Goals Collide with Hopelessness’; ‘The Impact of Social Media on Suicidality’, and ‘Working Together to Prevent Suicide’.

 

World Suicide Prevention Day is organised by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented. It is co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO).

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (centre), listens to Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (left), at the Choose Life International (CLI) World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) Seminar, held on Friday (September 14), at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston. At left is President and Founder of CLI, Dr. Donovan Thomas.