AS of September, the island’s first-ever Bachelor of Science Degree in career development will be offered on a full-time basis.

The HEART Trust’s tertiary arm, the Vocational Training Development Institute (VTDI), got the go-ahead from the University Council of Jamaica and began offering the course on a part-time basis in January. The programme will be expanded in the next school term, a move that has received kudos from state minister for education Dr Donald Rhodd.

The undergraduate programme in career development, he said, could help develop the country’s human capital by producing a cadre of well-trained career counsellors capable of helping students at the secondary and primary levels to set realistic and attainable career goals.

“Skills acquisition is vital for an economy to compete and grow, particularly in an era of economic integration and technological change,” he said recently at the official launch of the programme at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston.

He congratulated HEART for “its ability to provide certification for its increasing student population, especially in the area of vocational and technical education” and applauded the institution for having an 85.8 per cent certification rate with a completion rate of 94.2 per cent.

Meanwhile, HEART chairman Alister Cooke said the course took on added relevance as research had shown that there was a “serious shortage of professional career guidance in the education and training system, the workplace and in the broader communities”.

He added that graduates of the programme would be equipped with the competence to fill the void which, he said, “would impact positively on individuals in particular and the Jamaican workforce in general”.

The programme was developed out of a need to have appropriately trained counsellors in institutions, who are capable of helping clients in the area of career guidance development. The programme targets teachers, guidance counsellors and other professionals in the education system, persons in human resource management, social work and personnel managers.

It contains 130 credits and offers core courses such as:

. career development theory and practice,

. counselling skills,

. assessment in career development,

. management of the career environment and career development, as well as

. labour market information.

The full-time component lasts for four years and costs $50,000 per year, while part-time classes attract a $2,000 per credit fee with courses done on the student’s time.

To qualify, persons should have a diploma in career guidance and counselling (VTDI), education, social work and/or counselling from a recognised tertiary institution in addition to five Caribbean School Examination Certificate (CXCs) with grades one, two and three inclusive of English Language and Mathematics