The Jamaica-German Automotive School (JAGAS) has launched a programme to get persons informally trained in the automotive industry but who are not certified up to speed.

JAGAS has arranged a recruitment and assessment and is urging skilled mechanics, with two year or more experience, who are not yet certified, as well as those interested in becoming certified, to visit its Maxfield Avenue, Kingston 13 base on Monday, January 22

Programme coordinator at JAGAS, Clifton Henry, says the drive aims to recruit and provide certification for local mechanics under the National Council on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NCTVET).

“We are looking at certifying persons within the industry who are skilled in specific areas, while at the same time, where there is an interest, we will also seek to broaden the scope of their abilities into full NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) so they will be certified by the NCTVET.

“It is really for two sets of persons. Firstly, it is for persons who are presently in the automotive industry who are not certified, and who are operating but may need to be certified.

“We are going to be looking at it from a modular or job-specific areas of specialisation because there are people in the industry who are very skilled in specific areas, but might not be so skilled in other areas,” said Henry.

The programme will include an on spot assessment of the knowledge of the people who turn up.

“And so for persons who are not yet certified but who are operating within the industry, we are recruiting them to come in and allow us to take a look at their competencies both practically and from a knowledge perspective. We would then do an evaluation to determine their level of competence.

“We are also looking at persons who may not be working in the industry but who have a desire to be trained in the automotive industry. For these persons, we are looking at enrolment and that would mean, providing the necessary information so that they can make informed decisions as it relates to the automotive industry,” added Henry, who underscored that the certification process will be free for the participants.

“There is no payment for persons who are being enrolled within the system, and there is no cost or payment for the participants within the industry because as part of the HEART/National Service Training Agency (NSTA) Trust, the Jamaican-German Automotive School would cease to carry out its mandate where its automotive section is concerned.

“Our objective is all about empowering and providing certification Jamaica’s human capital. This particular recruitment is just for one day but where the need arise, and if the numbers required are there, then we will extend beyond just one day. There will also be another one in February,” said Henry.

Among the persons who will be certified under the programme are people trained as cooling system technicians, steering and suspension system technicians, wheel alignment and balancing technicians and automatic transmission technicians.