Thousands of young people were empowered through skills training and work placement opportunities.
• Over 25,000 young people trained through Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE). Over 3,000 trained through Jamaica National Service Corps under the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).
• 16,000 youth received summer work under the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme.
• Merger of HEART Trust, Jamaica Foundation for Lifelong Learning (JFLL), National Youth Service (NYS) and the Apprenticeship Board to create a comprehensive and effective human capital development agency, the HEART Trust National Service and Training Agency.
• Three memoranda of understanding (MOUs) were signed by the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ) and Jamaica Producers Group, Bureau of Standards Jamaica and GraceKennedy Limited to provide young people with training and work experience. Areas of training included agribusiness, the creative industries, and health and tourism wellness.
• Windscreen wipers from communities in Kingston were exposed to sessions in civics, conflict management, family life management and career development.
• 72 persons from 10 communities in St. James, St. Catherine and Kingston, were trained in air-condition installation and maintenance and certified under the Jamaica Social Investment Fund’s (JSIF) Alternative Livelihood Skills Programme (ALSP).
• 27 young people from the communities of Granville and Tucker in St. James received training in various skill under the JSIF’s Behaviour Change Programme.
• The training, aimed at preparing the youth for the world of work, focused on areas such as barbering, customer service, cosmetology, baking and soft furnishing, and included on-the-job training at hotels across western Jamaica.
• Recent graduates of the HEART Trust/NTA’s National Apprenticeship Programme received job offers at the inaugural ‘Get Hired’ event hosted by the agency.