Free Certification Available Through Job Readiness Programme

Unemployed persons interested in working in the tourism industry are being encouraged to take advantage of free certification being offered through the Job Readiness Programme.  

The programme, being implemented by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) in collaboration with the HEART/NSTA Trust and American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), aims to attract between 5,000 and 6,000 persons for training and certification. 

Interested persons are invited to register online at www.tef.gov.jm/job-readiness to participate in the three-day programme, which will be conducted face-to-face islandwide in facilities owned and operated by the HEART/NSTA Trust, and at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. 

Director, Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation, TEF,  Carol Rose Brown, informed that the Job Readiness Programme will address several issues, including industry knowledge, hospitality, how to deliver service effectively, cultural information, professionalism, health and safety, and customer service. 

“So, this course will envelop all these things and at the end of it, you will be examined [and] you will have a certificate if you are successful in job readiness,” Ms. Brown said. 

She further indicated that participants will have the opportunity to choose whether they want to be in the customer service segment of tourism or food safety. 

“When you choose, you will be able to get that certification. So, you will end up with a certificate from HEART/NSTA Trust as well as a certificate from the AHLEI,” she added.  

The programme, which got underway on November 14, is expected to end during the first week of December.  

Ms. Brown said it is anticipated that the participants will eventually gain employment. 

“We are committed to placing them in front of employers and helping them navigate that space to get those jobs,” she assured. 

For more information, persons are being asked to connect with the TEF on all its social media platforms.