DISCOVERY BAY, St Ann — A multimillion dollar skills training centre has been opened at Brown’s Town Community College Technical Campus in Discovery Bay, St Ann and already has 28 residents of Discovery Bay and neighbouring communities enrolled in a welding programme.

The centre is a joint venture between Noranda Jamaica Bauxite Company, Brown’s Town Community College and HEART/NTA.

Principal of the community college, James Walsh, said the facility would also provide training to some of the college’s mainstream students pursuing studies in construction and engineering.

Walsh said there was a demand on the international market for welders and a programme would also be put in place for persons in the profession to upgrade themselves.

Walsh also said that a school to train and certify tractor trailer drivers would be established at the facility as he noted that 300 such drivers are needed in Canada each year. He said the college would soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Canadian employers who are interested in setting up a school to train drivers at the technical campus.

Special guest at the opening ceremony was Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller who reiterated that education remains a priority of her Administration despite the country’s tough economic climate.

“We have a responsibility to educate our people; no matter what or how difficult it is in this country, in terms of our economy, education must continue to be a priority of any government,” Simpson Miller said.

Simpson Miller, while commending the community college and its partners for establishing the institution, said she was proud of the institution and the relationship it would form with the Canadian employers.

The prime minister said the opening of the skills training centre was important as she pointed to the contribution persons who are going to be trained at the facility can make to the country’s development.

“When you train people you train them for the world and I want to challenge those of you who are students to grasp this opportunity,” Simpson Miller said.

“When you have a skill you will survive anywhere you go in the world; once you have a skill and you’re certified you can get a job anywhere in the world; and I just want to say to you, remain focused on what you’re going to do,” she said.

“I want to challenge you students, when people talk failure, talk success; when they push hurdles in front of you, you talk how to get over those hurdles, and don’t allow anyone to get you down or get you frustrated,” Simpson Miller said.

“I want to encourage your parents to give you all the support; and even if you do not start out as well, you continue to say you’re going to be good, you’re going to succeed, they will begin to believe and they will begin to succeed,” she added.

For her part, president of Noranda Jamaica Bauxite Partners, Pansy Johnson, said the training centre was established in response to calls from the community council in Discovery Bay to establish a community base that would provide hands-on training in those artisan skills that can generate employment and income for residents.

“We listened to our community councils, we listened to our colleagues in education, and most importantly, we listened to our employees as they guided us on the steps to take towards meeting those expressed needs,” Johnson said.

Added Johnson: “The result that you are seeing here this evening is not a Noranda institution, but a joint partnership between our community, our educational institutions and our employees.”

Johnson said her company would also offer an apprenticeship programme at the bauxite company for persons who graduate from the facility.