ROSE HALL, St James — Retired hotel worker Rema Powell turns 74 next January and she is looking forward to working with children with disabilities. She got the skills needed through a HEART/NSTA Trust course in disability work with a focus on special education.

Powell is among thousands of graduates from HEART/NSTA’s Region Four who now have skills that are expected to transform their lives. Also among them is Michael McNamee, who graduated from high school with just two subjects but now has a certificate in digital animation. The two were among 686 individuals who attended a certification ceremony held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James on Tuesday.

“I expect to do much, especially with children with disabilities. I specialised in that. I was sitting at home and I said I wanted something to do because I am not doing anything at the moment. So I heard of this course, so I said let me try,” Powell explained.

In September she was one of 36 senior citizens who got international certification in digital literacy. She recently did a 10-week course at HEART/NSTA College of Innovation and Technology in Montego Bay and has high praises for HEART and its trainers.

“HEART is a very good institution. I encourage everybody, anybody to go to HEART because you get to learn anything at any age. There is no age limit,” she said.

“You see at HEART, the people who train you there are so professional and they have patience,” added Powell.

McNamee was equally effusive about his experience during his one-year digital animation course.

“On a whole, HEART is a great career path to set a foundation for yourself, for your career and for your life eternal,” he said.

“I am a World Skills competitor, competing in France two months ago. It’s a TVET [technical and vocational education training] competition which highlights different skills in the TVET area. I did graphic designs. Before World Skills, in the national competition I was the top awardee for the country itself overall. Without HEART I wouldn’t be here. I have already started to make big bucks for myself. It’s a very beneficial institution,” the young man added.

He is now a self-employed graphic designer with even bigger dreams of working with multinationals such as Apple and Google.

Hotel worker Nicole Clayton also has big dreams and she is equally convinced that her shiny new certificate in early childhood development is a step towards the fulfilment of her lifetime goal.

“I always wanted to be a teacher but after leaving high school my mom could not afford for me to go back to school, so I started working. It was during COVID when I had to do some online classes at the house I realised I still had a passion for teaching. From there I said I would do the early childhood education course and now here I am,” she told the
Observer.

Managing director of HEART/NSTA Trust Dr Taneisha Ingleton lauded the graduates, each of whom she said represents “a unique story of determination and perseverance”.

“Some of you balanced family responsibilities with your studies. Others overcame significant challenges to be here. Today you have shown that, with dedication, anything is achievable. You have completed assignments, you have passed assessments, and today you emerge, not just as graduates, but as certified professionals ready to step into a world that needs your skills and your unique talents. You are ready to make some money. Isn’t that good? I’m sure you all know that the skills pay the bills. Awesome! You are competent, you are capable, and you are fully prepared for the next chapter of your lives,” she told them.

The certification ceremony was held under the theme: ‘Honouring Excellence, awarding resilience and talent: Achievement Unlocked’.

More than 2,000 participants drawn from six institutions, eight Special Projects & Community Training Interventions as well as Work-based Training and High School Diploma Equivalency Programmes completed programmes. Participants, who live in the parishes of St James, Westmoreland and Hanover, successfully did courses in allied health, commercial food preparation, digital animation, industrial electrical maintenance, renewable energy, software programmes, and others.