Jamaica 4-H Clubs Signs MOU for the Training of Young Persons

The Jamaica 4-H Clubs has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Northern Caribbean University (NCU) to facilitate the recruitment and training of youth in technical and vocational education.

In the initial stage, the partnership will focus on supporting and strengthening 4-H Clubs to offer training based on the National Vocational Qualification of Jamaica (NVQ-J) Levels 1 and 2. It is anticipated that the output from this will see an improvement in youth employability and a consistent and competitive workforce.

At the signing ceremony, held on December 5 at the Jamaica 4-H Clubs National Headquarters in Kingston, Executive Director of the agency, Dr. Ronald Blake, said the partnership will advance the objectives of both organisations to contribute to youth development.

“At the heart of this MOU, we will be ensuring that we have more educated young people joining the ranks in our agricultural sector, not only as professionals working in the various agencies, but also as technicians working as farming practitioners in the field,” he said.

“That is where it is going to be important if we are to continue to grow the Jamaican economy,” he added.

Under the MOU, both parties are to facilitate recruitment and training of youth in technical and vocational education as well as undertake promotion and marketing of products and services. A

Monitoring Committee will be established to oversee the MOU.

Meanwhile, Interim President, Northern Caribbean University (NCU), Professor Marilyn Anderson, said the MOU will assist in strengthening and expanding training in agriculture at the institution.

“What we have done over the past two years is to establish agricultural programmes that have gone through each of the approval stages in our institution,” she noted.

Professor and Dean of the College of Natural and Applied Science, Allied Health and Nursing at NCU, Dr. Vincent Wright, told JIS News that the MOU is part of the institution’s plans to further expand the agriculture programme at the school, which currently offers a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agronomy.

As of August 2017, the institution will be expanding its offerings to include a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agribusiness. The institution will also be offering an Associate Degree in Agriculture and a Diploma in Tropical Agriculture.

The Jamaica 4-H Clubs is the youth training arm of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, with a membership of 105,291 and with a large complement of youth who demonstrate an interest in agriculture.