Jamaicans Will Be Equipped With Requisite Skills to Compete – Green

The Government remains committed to equipping Jamaicans with the requisite skills and academic qualifications, in order to effectively satisfy and compete in the ever-changing labour market.

“It is a thrust of the Ministry not only to ensure that our students have strong academic knowledge, but to train them in the various skill competencies that the world needs,” says Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green.

Mr. Green was speaking at the launch of the HEART Trust/NTA’s automotive laboratory and commissioning of a mobile electronics lab, at the Jamaican-German Automotive School (JAGAS) on Maxfield Avenue, in Kingston, on August 30.

“In another five or 10 years, the jobs that we think are important now, some of them will not even exist, so we have to keep pace with the trends,” he said.

In the meantime, he lauded the HEART Trust/NTA for providing thousands of students with training to meet the needs of the rapid automotive industry and the technological advances of the future.

“It is in this vein that JAGAS seeks to remain relevant in the automotive industry by ensuring that learners are equipped with the latest trends, skills and technical know-how,” he said.

For his part, Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, said the effect of their training “will only be reflected in national development and economic growth, if you intentionally play your part by applying it to productive ends and show that you can do for your country what it has provided and done for you”.

He said that as they receive the training that will allow them to become certified, they should develop good work ethics such as punctuality, dependability, resourcefulness, good manners and consideration for your colleagues.

The Governor-General emphasised that these values will give them sustenance, help them to improve their organisations and vault them to the top of their career.

“The successful completion of your training will enable Jamaica to create a workforce that is equipped, qualified and certified to international standards,” he said.

He thanked the Federal Republic of Germany for their support in aiding the country’s development in the automotive sector.

The advanced autotronics laboratory trains automotive technicians in the maintenance and repair of advanced components and complex systems found in modern vehicles.

The electronics-electrical mobile lab will be used to conduct training in consumer electronics repair, including televisions, radios, component sets and amplifiers, and electrical installation. This lab will primarily be utilised in Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Catherine and on the North Coast.