HEART Trust/NTA’s Banana Sector Retraining Project (BSRP) has contracted the Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning (JFLL) to bring added resources to its activities. The BSRP provides sustainable skills to banana/plantain farmers, port and farm workers as well as those who live in communities affected by the industry’s downturn.
JFLL is officially charged with providing remedial training and assessment to BSRP beneficiaries and JFLL certification for those who pass the course. JFLL will also redirect beneficiaries who successfully complete its ‘Foundation LENS’ (Lessons in English, Numeracy and Survival) Programme to re-sit the HEART Grade Nine Admissions test for entry into HEART Trust/NTA skills training. This terminates at Level 4, which denotes a workplace functionality equivalent to Grade 6. Others who successfully complete the JFLL ‘Bridge to Skills’ Pre-vocational Programme (i.e. Grades 7-9) will matriculate directly into HEART skills training.
315 beneficiaries sat the HEART Grade Nine Admissions test to assess their level of education. 15% scored at or above the Grade Nine level and were processed by HEART to start vocational training in areas such as housekeeping and crop production.
Those who scored below Grade Nine were referred for pre-vocational interventions in either pen and paper based classes with the JFLL or via Information and Communication Technology (ICT) enabled training programmes with HEADSpace Jamaica.
The BSRP originally aimed to offer pre-vocational training to 100 beneficiaries, but due to the results from the admissions test the number of potential beneficiaries was essentially doubled. Currently, approximately 120 participants are attending the training carried out by the JFLL and HEADSpace Jamaica.
To date, there are pre-vocational interventions in five of the six participating parishes conducted by JFLL and HEADSpace Jamaica. Currently, JFLL is conducting classes in St. James and Clarendon; however, classes for Portland are scheduled to restart on Monday September 28, 2009 after being postponed due to attrition. Rounding out the five parishes are St. Thomas and St. Mary where HEADSpace Jamaica will conduct ICT-enabled pre-vocational classes.
Noteworthy, JFLL’s training at Maldon High School, St. James has been averaging more than 20 beneficiaries; the highest of all JFLL classes in the project.
For information please contact:
Tashna Samuels 506-3600 tashnal.samuels@gmail.com
Carla Campbell 929-1595 carla_campbell@heart-nta.org
Donnett Smith 946-0859/978-4362 marketing@panmedia.com.jm