State Minister for Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams, says she is pursuing plans to open a branch of the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) at a location in her West Central St. James constituency.

"This will provide training for young people in the maritime field and link into the broader vision of the Ministry and Jamaica to become a logistics hub for the hemisphere, taking advantage of Jamaica's opportunity with the expansion of the Panama Canal," Mrs. Ffolkes-Abrahams said.

The State Minister was making her maiden presentation in the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on July 18.

She informed that she has set aside almost a third of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for the purpose of education because, "education is the key to facilitate growth, so that our young people can achieve their full potential and that Jamaica can rise to its full stature as a nation."

The State Minister cited the recent success of the Howard Cooke Primary school in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), noting over 30 students received an average of 90 per cent or over in the examinations.

She also reported that her constituency continues to develop a job bank for at least 40 young persons in the Information Technology (IT) sector and is training 30 persons in landscaping for placement in tourism and other industries. She said, too, that they are developing job banks for cooks, truck drivers, strawberry pickers, and hospitality industry personnel for Canada and elsewhere.