ADULT learners who have exited or may not have entered the formal education system and require access to learning opportunities can do so through the HEART/NSTA Trust’s High School Diploma Equivalency (HSDE) programme.

Managing director of the HEART/NSTA Trust Dr Taneisha Ingleton said the agency is all-inclusive and all about human capital development.

“So, if it is you did not get that opportunity to go to high school or really finish your primary education, we take you through a phased basis…reading, writing. We have had a lot of success stories across our High School Diploma Equivalency programme,” Dr Ingleton said.

She was speaking on the Good Morning Minister programme on Love 101 FM, Wednesday.

According to the HEART/NSTA Trust, the High School Diploma Equivalency is a three-tiered programme consisting of the following levels: Basic (Grades 1 to 6), Intermediate (Grades 7 to 9) and Proficiency (Grades 10-11).

Under the programme, adult learners are supported to develop literacy and numeracy skills and perform at Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) level; strengthen their overall employability and core competencies; and access employment and transition to other HEART programmes.

Participants in the programme must first sit the Test for Adult Basic Education (TABE), which is a diagnostic assessment.

The duration of the training depends on the trainee’s level and rate of progress and may last anywhere between six months and three years.

At the end of the training, participants receive an HSDE certificate, which demonstrates successful completion of the programme.

“We exist to serve every Jamaican — that is why we are here — and to build and sustain a globally competitive Jamaican workforce,” Dr Ingleton said.