Jamaica has successfully secured a silver medal placement in an international invitational competition hosted by Guangdong Vcom Education Technology Company Limited in China.

The optoelectronics skills competition held in Shanghai took place from December 15 to 19 and included representatives from countries such as Jamaica, Brazil, Japan, Austria and China, who emerged as the overall winner of the competition.

To secure this placement, Jamaica’s representative Dravid Dixon, trainee at the HEART/NSTA Trust National Tools and Engineering Institute copped the silver medal and participated in a series of training in China ahead of the competition.

At the local level, Dixon received guidance and tutelage from expert Martin Plummer, instructor at the Southwest TVET Institute. Plummer also accompanied him to China.

All the competitors were exposed to optoelectronics software, the new test project and design at the same time and under the same conditions. At the end of the training, competitors were required to demonstrate the skills and competencies acquired throughout training.

“Jamaica’s participation in this competition is aligned with its affiliation with WorldSkills International and the need to prepare participants for the international WorldSkills competition that takes place every two years. For the past 40 years, Jamaica has, through the HEART/NSTA Trust, taken a lead role in supplying the Jamaican workforce with skilled talent that is required to accelerate Jamaica’s progress towards sustained economic development and growth,” a statement from the HEART/NSTA said on Wednesday.

“Being a part of the WorldSkills network grants Jamaica access to a diverse range of TVET resources including international occupational standards, research information and best practices from member countries. The next WorldSkills Competition is scheduled for September 2024 in Lyon, France,” it added.

On the significant victory, Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon said “The Administration is committed to the transformation of the HEART/ NSTA Trust and the rejuvenation of skills training in Jamaica. Dravid’s silver medal in China is a testament to the transformational work being done. The optoelectronics programme was only recently deployed and we are already seeing the fruits of our labour. Dravid reaffirms that our young Jamaicans can perform and compete in cutting-edge areas globally.”

Official Delegate and chief executive officer, WorldSkills Jamaica and managing director, of the HEART/NSTA Trust, Dr Taneisha Ingleton, in commenting on the silver medal placement expressed that the Trust continues to deliver on its mandate through the development of skills across all key sectors.

“The HEART/NSTA Trust certainly has the capacity and capability to transform the economy through the investment in and development of our youths. We are very proud that we were able to cop second in this new skill area, having competed with the best in the world,” she said.

Ingleton noted that the Trust is committed to providing the relevant support required to enable the continued promotion and advancement of skills development thereby reinforcing the impact of TVET as a means of shifting social and economic growth positively.

“I congratulate Mr Dixon on his victory and we look forward to other preparatory activities that he will engage in as we prepare for the upcoming international WorldSkills Competition”, she expressed.

Meanwhile, Technical Delegate, WorldSkills Jamaica Dwayne Bent indicated that the placement puts Jamaica at a good advantage to be able to medal at the international competition.

“We believe that Optoelectronics is a critical skillset to the manufacturing sector and other sectors in Jamaica as LED Lights and lighting design is dominating most of the industries and economies across the world. He added that the victory is a demonstration and testament of the competencies of our Jamaican competitors to be able to compete under the same conditions with other countries that are well known for their technological capabilities,” Bent said.

“The fact that we were able to rise and outshine most of the other countries is indicative of our continued investment in skill development” he continued.

Optoelectronics is one of the new and emerging sectors that is booming in the Jamaica industry and is valued at over US$60 billion across the world. Optoelectronics is the study and application of electronic devices and systems that find, detect and control light. Through optoelectronics, there has been new design and modern technology associated with LED lights that has transformed the lighting sector and the lights that are used in the medical and security services among other sectors.