HEART Trust, Brown’s Town Comm C in the partnership
The importance of skill training in Jamaica’s society to realize prosperity and productivity for the nation was again highlighted when individuals from the Water Valley and Discovery Bay Training Centres were acknowledged and rewarded in a graduation exercise on Wednesday, September 30. The event was held at the Brown’s Town Community College’s Discovery Bay Training Centre in Discovery Bay, St Ann. Ninety eight were trained and 36 attended the graduation.
The training opportunity received by these graduates grew out of a partnership among Noranda Jamaica Bauxite Partners (NJBP), HEART Trust/NTA and Brown’s Town Community College.
A total of 98 graduates successfully completed their level 2 HEART Trust/NTA training between 2010 and 2015 in skilled based areas of Motor Vehicle Engine Systems and Welding and Fabrication. However, 36 graduates were on hand to receive their certificates and soak up the high level of commendations and blessings of success as they move forward in their careers by the several speakers on hand.
The graduation exercise was opened by public and relations manager at NJBP, Kent Skyers, who gave welcome to the officials, graduates and their well-wishers who turned out at the event. Mr Skyers, in particular, had encouraging words for the graduates, who were all males, as they moved forward in their various careers, noting that “these gentlemen have worked hard and must be congratulated for their efforts.”
Also lauding the efforts of the graduates was principal of the Brown’s Town Community College, Claudette Fletcher. She gave her own greetings and welcome and acknowledged the successful partnerships that resulted in the graduation of the young men, whom she encouraged to apply what they learned. “As you go into the workforce, I want to encourage you to remember what you have learnt here; not just the skills that you are going to use to earn you some money, but those sub-skills that will make you that kind of person that people will want to work with,” expressed Mrs. Fletcher.
Denworth Finnikin, senior director of the Workforce Development and Employment Division (WDED) of HEART Trust/NTA publicly commended the NJBP team in their partnership of training individuals to gain the necessary skill sets demanded by the labour force. He especially congratulated Mr Skyers for the energy he had in publicizing the training programme offered at the Water Valley and Discovery Bay Training Centres.
JOBS WITHOUT PEOPLE
Mr Finnikin went on to highlight the importance of a link between labour market intelligence and training, especially in St. Ann and to a greater extent in the North-East region of Jamaica. “It is very important that we utilize labour market intelligence to determine our course offerings.” He said the country faces a structural unemployment situation. “This is jobs without people and people without jobs. We are just training people who are desirous of a skill and we don’t know where they will be going,” explained Mr Finnikin.
Former principal of Brown’s Town Community College, James Walsh, also agreed with this, noting that “One of the major problems in the country is unemployment. A major reason for youth unemployment is because they have no marketable skill.” He said that the job market was moving towards technical skill areas.
He expressed his commendations for the partnership among NJBP, HEART Trust/NTA and Brown’s Town Community College in realizing the demands of the job market and ensuring the training of individuals in the necessary skill areas. He also told the audience that the Minister of Education, Ronald Thwaites, who was to be the guest speaker at the function and who was absent, believed in the training programme offered at the Water Valley and Discovery Bay Training Centres and sent his best wishes to the graduates.
TRAINING AS STEPPING STONE
Craig Thompson, engineering and CORE manager at NJBP apologized for the absence of general manager and vice-president of NJBP, Antoine Liddell. Mr. Thompson told the graduates that Mr Liddell wanted them to “use this training as a stepping stone to achieve greater things.” Mr Thompson expressed his elation and charged the graduates to preserve their integrity as they entered the working world.
Arthur Clemetson, councillor of the Dry Harbour division, was also on hand to congratulate the graduates and NJBP, who he said “was always doing something to help.”
In a dynamic valedictorian speech, graduate Andrew Jackson, expressed the joy in the graduates’ hearts for the successes they achieved through the partnership of NJBP, HEART Trust/NTA and Brown’s Town Community College. “You will and will always be celebrities to all whose lives you have touched. I challenge your hearts and I beg of you, do not be weary in well-doing but please continue in this quest. You are a savior in this island of Jamaica,” h
said.The 36 graduates present were handed their certificates of training. Six others received the Spirit of HEART, NJBP and Brown’s Town Community College Trophy for excellence in their various disciplines and year group. In the category of Motor Engine Systems level 2, the awardees were: Anthony Scarlett (2010-2011 year group); Donovan Mothersill (2012-2013 year group) and Kevaur Jack (2014-2015 year group).
In the category of Welding and Fabrication level 2, the awardees were: Garth Green (2012-2013 year group) and Andrew Gordon (2014-2015 year group).
