HEART/NSTA Trust Increasing Instructors to Meet Training Demand

The HEART/NSTA Trust is expanding its pool of instructors to meet the demand brought on by increased enrolment in its programmes.

Since April 1, tuition and administrative fees for programmes up to level four (associate degree) have been waived.

Managing Director of HEART/NSTA Trust, Dr. Taneisha Ingleton, told JIS News that increasing staff capacity and strengthening the instructor pool, through upskilling and reskilling, is critical to achieving the Government’s mandate of increasing the provision of trained labour for industry.

“We had some attrition, but we have been working to ensure that we close that gap. We have started looking internally for individuals who are already qualified, who would have been working across the Trust and shadowing other instructors in various areas.

“We have been pulling individuals from those areas to ensure that the experiential pieces are well covered and that the individuals who are actually lecturing or instructing or demonstrating on these courses have the requisite qualifications and experience and connections with industry,” she explained.

Dr. Ingleton noted that the Trust is also investing in technology infrastructure for hands-on training in some of the emerging technologies.

She said HEART/NSTA Trust has forged partnerships with various technology providers to access some of the latest tools and equipment being used in the industry.

“We also work very closely with JPS (Jamaica Public Service). They have provided us with quite a lot of equipment to support our training in electric vehicle technology. So, it’s really the partnerships that we have been ensuring that we tighten and ensuring that we establish,” Dr. Ingleton said.

The HEART/NSTA Trust is Jamaica’s leading human capital development agency.