The HEART/NSTA Trust has provided skills training for 552,534 young people since 2020, says Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon.
“These programmes have opened doors for those who once believed their dreams were out of reach, and with the elimination of tuition fees in 2023, we saw more and more students deciding, ‘let me go to HEART; let me get that skill that I have always wanted’,” Dr. Morris Dixon said, while contributing to the debate on the Appropriation Bill in the Senate, recently.
She pointed out that these skills training programmes highlight that the Learning and Investment for Transformation (LIFT) programme and the Community Action for Rewarding Engagement (CARE) Initiative are important.
The LIFT programme, launched in August 2023, aims to equip students exiting fifth and sixth forms with the skills and mindset needed to properly assimilate into the workforce.
The CARE Initiative is aimed at reaching young people who are unemployed or not enrolled in a training programme.
“Yes, LIFT is 500 students’; yes, CARE is 1,300, but there are over 150,000 students that have gone through HEART after the elimination of fees, but what we have to understand is that there are unique pockets of young people that may have to be reached in a different way,” the Minister said.
Senator Morris Dixon added that the programmes aim to empower the participants so that they can see the world in a different way, pointing out that participants under CARE also benefit from literacy and counselling sessions.
She noted that another cohort will benefit through the LIFT and CARE programmes this year.
“There are many different cohorts that we are trying to reach, and I think we are doing a very good job and there is more to be done, a lot more to be done, and we are going to keep doing it,” the Minister said.
Meanwhile, she pointed out that Jamaica’s first ever Cultural Apprenticeship Programme will be launched this year.
She said that pilot programme aims to empower 200 young people with foundational training in creative and business skills through HEART.
“Participants will gain invaluable hands-on experience by working alongside both local and international creatives, including event planners, promoters, entertainers, artisans, sculptors, film-makers and content creators to complete their training. While undergoing this practical apprenticeship, participants will receive a monthly stipend of $69,000 from the Trust,” she said.
Dr. Morris Dixon invited Members of Parliament to nominate students for this programme.
“It’s important because what it’s saying is that we are looking at different areas that we may not have focused on and providing opportunities for young people in that area. We hear our young people asking for a structured pathway into the creative industry… the Administration has heard our young people and we have delivered for them through this programme,” she said.
She further noted that 300 young people will be engaged through the Expanded Apprenticeship Programme.
“We will be working to improve our apprenticeship programme, because we understand that our young people can learn so much more on the job than in a classroom.As a pilot, 300 young people will participate in a paid apprenticeship where they will earn a stipend, and gain on-the-job experience,” the Minister said.
“We have a 10 per cent portion of the earnings that go to compulsory saving… . We are starting that pilot with the Sandals Corporate University and this will be focused more on construction and hospitality around the tourism industry,” she added.
Senator Morris Dixon also said that a grant of up to $300,000 is provided to HEART/NSTA Trust level-four graduates who are pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-related programmes.
The Minister said the Government remains committed to empowering the country’s human capital, especially the nation’s youth, to thrive in a dynamic global economy.