HEART Trainees Help with Restorative Efforts at Jakes Hotel

A team of 25 HEART/NSTA Trust trainees is helping to advance restoration efforts at Jakes Hotel in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth.

The hotel was badly hit during the passage of Category Five Hurricane Melissa on October 28.

The trainees were deployed on December 2 from three Southwest TVET Institute campuses – Black River and Derrick Rochester (Junction) in St. Elizabeth, and Newport in Manchester.

They are pursuing programmes in General Construction, Industrial Electrical Maintenance and Plumbing.

Chairman of Jakes Hotel and Founder and Chairman of BREDS Treasure Beach Foundation, Jason Henzell, told JIS News that BREDS has been fortunate to have had a partnership with HEART, through the Treasure Beach Skills Training Institute for the past seven years.

“After the hurricane, Director Dwayne Bent reached out to me and said that several of the HEART locations and venues had been damaged and that a lot of the students needed work experience and asked if I would be open to some work experience – an internship, to which I agreed immediately,” he shared.

Within a few days, he said a team from HEART met with the contractors to discuss safety and the expectations of the students, among other things.

“I’m pleased to say that they have joined our team. I think that they’re learning a lot. I also think that they’re of great help to us. So, you know, it’s a win-win situation,” he said, noting that they are working alongside four contractors to repair the 32-room property.

The trainees will work under the guidance and supervision of engineers and technical experts for a minimum of two weeks, ensuring they gain hands-on experience aligned with national industry standards.

HEART NSTA/Trust Deputy Managing Director with responsibility for National Training, Dr. Cheryl McLaughlin, underscored that the Trust’s commitment extends beyond standard training, noting that it is also about national service and strategic investment in human capital.

“The devastation from Hurricane Melissa has presented an urgent need for skilled labour, which our trainees who are being deployed to Jakes Hotel are now directly addressing. The trainees are not just learning, they’re actively contributing to critical infrastructure repairs,” she said.

Dr. McLaughlin highlighted the transformative role of the trainees during the deployment.

“They are being empowered to become architects of our national resilience. Their work helps ensure that communities like Treasure Beach can thrive once more. This reinforces that our investment in skills is truly an investment in Jamaica’s swift and resilient recovery,” she reasoned.

Meanwhile, Mr. Henzell commended HEART for coming up with the idea and approaching the boutique hotel.

“I applaud the contractors’ openness to working with these youngsters and my biggest thanks goes out to the students themselves. Hopefully, they’ll look back at this a few years from now and say, not only did they learn something but they can visit with their family and boast about the fact that when Jakes was going through its darkest hours, they were there with hands and hearts and souls to kind of get us to get the train back on the track,” he shared.

Mr. Henzell said the hotel will partially reopen on December 18 and is targeting a full reopening by the end of January 2026.