GLENDEVON, St James — Members of the Montego Bay business sector are being challenged to back up talk by helping to finance operations at the newly opened Glendevon Centre of Excellence.

The centre was established at a cost of nearly $40million to provide vocational training for inner-city youth.

The calls have come from Dr Horace Chang and Lloyd B Smith, two parliamentarians from the two major political factions representing St James constituencies.

“We want to give our adults a second chance and we need the support of the private sector. And we want it in a real way, no talk shop,” said Chang who is MP for North West St James.

“The facility is well built and it has all the required rooms. The intention of doing the right type of training needs support in terms of acquisition of additional amenities, such as training material and I am sure that the private sector can contribute to that if they so choose and I hope when they are approached they will respond. The support they give will measure their commitment and their sincerity,” Chang added.

His sentiments were mirrored by Smith, MP for St James Central.

“The fact that Dr Chang and myself are collaborating on this very special effort I think is a very positive signal to the business community to come on board and assist in this most noble venture. The centre is in need of quite a few pieces of equipment from refrigerator to mico waves, whatever support the private sector can give,” Smith challenged.

The two politicians were speaking earlier this week during the soft opening of the training facility which recently commenced offering courses in computer skills and hospitality services to the first batch of 60 students.

The facility is designed to accommodate 200 students.

The institution which is run by the Benevolence Society, headed by Patrick Fletcher; Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP) and HEART, is the brainchild of Chang.

He noted that he was inspired to take on the venture following two violent incidents in two St James inner-city communities in October 2003: a violent confrontation between members of the State security forces and armed men from Canterbury, followed later by another one in Flanker.

“We realised that a large block, some 70 percent of our young men, left school before Grade Nine which rendered them unemployable. We therefore started the idea of doing training programme which gives vocational training and pre-vocation work especially geared to capturing the 15 to 30 who needed a second chance. It has been a long haul since then,” said Chang.

Premises which housed the old market in Glendevon was subsequently acquired, an old building renovated and a new one constructed to accommodate the computer centre.

Smith came on board with the project after the 2011 national polls and he became the first MP for the newly created constituency previously part of North West St James which has been represented by Dr Chang since 2002.

“It must be noted that the centre of excellence is not just catering to St James Central or North West St James.

In fact, when we spoke to a number of the pioneer students some of them come from Granville, and other areas in St James so although it is a North West to a St James Central it is something that will benefit the wider community of St James and its environs,” Smith said.