KINGSTON, Jamaica – Forty-eight young people have been equipped with the technical skills and professional discipline to enhance their employability, having successfully completed the Jamaica National Service Corps’ (JNSC) Skills Track for Workforce Development.

They are the first cohort to be trained under the programme, which was launched by the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and the HEART/NSTA Trust on February 24, 2025.

The youngsters, ages 18 to 23, were engaged over four months, with 20 participants trained in administrative assistance and 28 in electrical installation. The course entailed professional development and life skills training.

Certificates were presented to the successful participants during a closing out ceremony at the JDF Headquarters, Up Park Camp in Kingston, on Friday.

Delivering the main address at the ceremony, Prime Minister Andrew Holness pointed out that the programme is an outgrowth of the Government’s broader vision to secure Jamaica’s future through structured and purposeful youth engagement.

He said that the JNSC, formed in 2017 as a component of the Learn, Earn, Give and Save (LEGS) initiative, has impacted nearly 7,000 Jamaicans.

Holness noted that over the years, the JNSC has evolved from a focus on preparing individuals for military service to include a secondary effort aimed at national workforce development,

He said that the workforce development arm of the JNSC “is a powerful response to three of the most persistent challenges facing our economy – high numbers of unattached youth, skills mismatch in the labour market, as well as the misalignment between employers’ expectations and employee readiness.”

He noted that the programme was carefully designed to develop not just the knowledge base of the participants, but also their character.

Holness pointed out that the training model began with a four-week personal development camp that focused on important life skills, conflict resolution, discipline, teamwork, and mental resilience.

The foundational phase also included exposure to areas such as conflict resolution, law and order, physical training, emotional intelligence, stress and time management, financial literacy, and effective communication.

Participants then underwent three months of targeted skills-based training in their programme areas.

Trainees in the administrative assistance programme gained proficiency in workplace communication, business documentation, customer service, application software use, and basic financial processing.

Those in the electrical installation stream were introduced to the principles of occupational health and safety, and trained in conduit preparation, wiring installations, distribution panel setups, and the installation of metering sockets.

The prime minister noted that having successfully completed the programme, the 48 trainees are now equipped with hard skills that are in demand and will now embark on four-month internships.

He urged the graduates to be resilient in the face of challenges that they may face in the working world.

In her remarks, Managing Director of the HEART/NSTA Trust, Taneisha Ingleton, said the training initiative underscores the transformational power of partnerships and the critical role they play in achieving national visions.

“The collaboration between the HEART/NSTA Trust and the JDF, through the JNSC, is a living, breathing example of public agencies working in unison, stakeholders aligned, and communities uplifted through strategic cooperation,” Ingleton affirmed.

She maintained that the collaboration is significant as it not only provides skills training but also builds the individual.

“Graduates are leaving here today not only with credentials and the discipline that they need to advance in society in areas like electrical installation, business administration and information communication technology (ICT), but they are leaving with the character, the confidence that they need to excel… wherever their path may lead,” the managing director said.

In her remarks, Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Antonette Wemyss Gorman, commended the participants for their discipline and commitment throughout the programme.

“While these participants will not enlist in the JDF, they have been shaped by our values and are now advancing to the practical application of their training,” she pointed out.

Vice Admiral Wemyss Gorman said that the JNSC is just one aspect of the JDF’s engagement of youth.

“Last year, we engaged directly with over 52,000 youth in our operations. When we invest in our youth, we strengthen the foundation of our communities and make a meaningful contribution to the nation’s long-term security,” she said.

The next cohort of participants under the Skills Track for Workforce Development will begin training in October 2025.

–         JIS