Montego Bay, St James – The Anglican Church has announced plans to acquire lands to construct a multi-purpose skills training centre in western Jamaica, ahead of its 107th annual National Brotherhood Convention scheduled to get under way this morning at the St James Anglican Church in the resort city.

“It is quite prophetic that Montego Bay has been chosen,” said the chairman of the national public relations committee, Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie.

“The convention’s staging coincides with the social upheaval caused by the anti-social elements whose conduct has unleashed high levels of criminal activity in the town,” he said.

O’Connor-Dennie said the church’s decision to establish a training centre, aimed at equipping young males in the 18 – 30 age group with a marketable skill, came out of a concern over the rising crime rate in the west, especially in Montego Bay which saw a record 178 murders last year and 27 since the start of the year.

“We are at an advanced stage of negotiation to acquire the land,” he said. “We believe this will help, since when a young man has a skill and a way to earn a living, he won’t have time for crime.”