Craft Development Institute for St. Ann’s Bay

Three entities have signed a contract for the completion of a business case plan for the establishment of a Craft Development Institute (CDI) in St. Ann’s Bay.

They are Zyacom Limited, the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), and the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA).
Zyacom Limited is expected to produce the plan at the end of three months.

The business case plan will detail the capacity of the EMCVPA and provide the Government with expert advice as to the skills training gaps and financial and organisational requirements necessary to ensure the CDI’s sustainability.

The CDI will be responsible for providing training and certification to current and potential craft producers, supporting the development of authentic Jamaican craft and protecting new designs, among other things. It is scheduled to welcome its first students in September 2018.

The contract signing follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the TPDCo and the EMCVPA to concretise their commitment to working together on the CDI.

Addressing the contract signing ceremony, held at the TPDCo office in New Kingston, on July 11, Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, said the CDI will form the basis of entrepreneurship and provide the framework for more jobs to be created.

He informed that through the CDI, as well as the creation of five artisan villages in key areas of the island, “we’re giving to the public and the world the true sense of what authentic Jamaica is all about”.

“The true Jamaica is not had from the high-rise hotels, driving in luxury buses and cars… . What they (tourists) don’t have is the authentic piece of Jamaica that comes from out of the hearts and minds of the artisans,” he said.

Meanwhile, Vice-President of Academic and Technical Studies at the EMCVPA, Carol Hamilton, said finding a way to impact the tourism sector has been a mainstream discussion at her institution for some time.

Ms. Hamilton informed that when the opportunity arose to collaborate on such a project that would impact the sector, the response was affirmative.

She said a lead person from the College has already been appointed to collaborate with TPDCo to train those who will be benefiting directly from the CDI.

For his part, Zyacom Limited Team Leader, Wesley Vanriel, assured that the work required of his entity will be done effectively and efficiently.

Information provided by the United Nations World Tourism Organization has pointed to the importance of handicraft as one of the fastest-growing activities within the tourism sector.

The sale of handicrafts to tourists can foster the continuity of local traditions and contribute significantly to poverty alleviation, through its ability to create jobs, socio-economic opportunities and an enhanced quality of life in local communities.