Kingston, Jamaica, September 16, 2025 – Business and Entrepreneurship Development Manager for the Jamaica 4-H Clubs, Amanda McKenzie, has indicated that close to 300 applications have been received, so far, for the 2025/2026 Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (RYEEP) Builder.

She said that this figure is expected to be exceeded, as the deadline for applications is set for Friday (September 12) at midday.

During an interview with JIS News on Thursday (September 11), Ms. McKenzie said that the volume of applications reflects a shift in the youth’s interest in agriculture.

“We definitely see a growing interest of youth in agriculture. They bring a new energy to the sector, in the sense that they are not only interested in the traditional approach in terms of how agriculture is done but their interest is also aligned to technology,” she explained.

Ms. McKenzie added that agri-processing has also become a viable option for youth as they look at services that can be offered across the agricultural sector, so as not to limit themselves to the traditional approaches.

The RYEEP Builder is open to individuals aged 18 to 35 who are already involved in agriculture and are not formally employed outside of this venture.

Participants of RYEEP Builder will receive mentorship; coaching, which will take on a one-on-one approach with trainers from specialised sectors of agriculture.

Training will also be provided in areas such as livestock production, broiler production, apiculture, goat production, piggery, fisheries, crop production, and agri-processing.

“All the participants will also benefit from training in financial management, business management, record keeping, good agricultural practices, climate smart agriculture and marketing,” Ms. McKenzie noted.

Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to receive levels one and two National Council on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NCTVET) certification through HEART/NSTA Trust.

Other benefits include study tours and field visits to private and public organisations that are producing on a commercial scale.

“They can have a better appreciation of where it is that they can aspire to in terms of their business development. They can see some of the cutting-edge technologies that are being incorporated into production for efficiency,” Ms. McKenzie said.

There is also a financial aspect where tangible material and equipment worth $100,000 will be given to approximately 100 participants of the initiative to support their agriculture business.

Formal training for the RYEEP Builder will begin in November, once the interview process for shortlisted applicants across the 14 parishes in Jamaica are completed, and the selected members of the 2025/2026 cohort are notified.

Reflecting on the success of the programme last year, Ms. McKenzie said: “We do have participants who would have indicated that their enterprises have now improved in terms of the income generated; they’re seeing increase in income.”

“They’re [also] able to expand. We had one person who is involved in apiculture… he’s added additional hives to his venture. [And another person] was able to turn her crop production enterprise into a thriving operation that now employs young people from her community,” she added.

Ms. McKenzie said that the benefits of the RYEEP Builder initiative is expected to go beyond the participants and the owners of the entities, as “we also want to see that transition into generational employment opportunities for other persons, particularly within rural spaces”.

RYEEP Builder is organised by the Jamaica 4-H Clubs, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining and HEART/NSTA Trust.

Contact: Vanessa James

Release: JIS

Photo Caption: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green (left), engages with participants in the Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (RYEEP) Builder, during the closing ceremony of the 2024/2025 cohort of the programme, on Friday (June 13), at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.

File Photo: Mark Bell

Montego Bay, St. James: Sandals Corporate University (SCU), the learning and development hub for Sandals and Beaches Resorts team members, continues to set the gold standard for excellence in AI implementation and training strategy as they celebrate their recent double win in the 2025 Brandon Hall Group^TM HCM Excellence Awards®.

Collaborating with Canadian-based corporate training company, Flint Learning Solutions, the SCU was awarded two gold medals for projects submitted to the categories: Best Use of AI in Business Impact for elevating guest experiences with AI training and Best Learning in the Flow of Work for improving hospitality with on-the-job activities.

The awarding organisation, The Brandon Hall Group™, has, for over 30 years empowered and certified business excellence globally and through the HCM Excellence Awards®, which recognises organisations that have implemented best practices for initiatives in learning and development, talent acquisition and management, leadership development, human resources, sales performance, diversity, equity and inclusion and the future of work.

Highlighting the achievement, SCU’s Senior Corporate Director, Dr. Luz Longsworth stated, “the Hospitality industry requires a flexible and fast paced approach to on-the-job training and the SCU is excited about the possibilities for expanding the use of AI in its training model to enhance our team members’ learning experience and to ultimately continue providing our Sandals and Beaches Resorts guests with consistently excellent service.”

Lenise White, Sandals Resorts’ measurement and evaluation specialist also shared her enthusiasm about the win.

“The double gold win from the Brandon Hall Group™ is a tremendous recognition of the impact the SCU has made in transforming hospitality learning and service delivery. It signifies that our efforts to integrate AI into training are not only innovative but also delivering real business impact.”

The partnership between SCU and Flint has, since its application, redefined on the job learning, demonstrating how innovative technology and training can ease real-world business challenges in the hospitality industry. The programme establishes a new standard for hospitality talent development and has given way to the integration of personalised, AI-powered learning, geared towards enhancing team member capabilities and elevating the guest experience without disrupting daily operations.

“We’re incredibly proud of our partnership with Sandals Corporate University and the exceptional results we’ve achieved together. SCU’s leadership in embracing innovative approaches to talent development has been instrumental in creating a programme that empowered employees to create the exceptional, memorable experiences that define the Sandals brand and keep guests returning year after year,” shared Flint’s Chief Executive Officer, James Glover.

The 2025 award entries were evaluated by a panel of veteran, independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group analysts and executives based on their alignment to business needs and environment, programme design, functionality and delivery, innovation and creativity among other criteria.

“This year’s Excellence Award winners exemplify the transformative power of strategic human capital management. Through their innovative approaches to talent development and employee engagement, these organizations have not only achieved remarkable business outcomes but have also redefined what it means to create truly people-centric workplaces,” remarked Brandon Hall Group Chief Operating Officer and HCM Excellence Awards® Programme Leader, Rachel Cooke.

The win follows another exceptional achievement in AI-powered training after the SCU copped the bronze award for Best Corporate University in Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) Implementations from the Global CCU, earlier this year.

Photo Captions:

Header: A group of proud team members from Sandals South Coast team pose for a quick photo op after receiving their training completion certificates.

1st insert: Sandals Ochi Beach Resort General Manager, Carol Bourke (left) presents Learning and Development Manager, Joy Bernard with her certificate of recognition for the role that she played in administering the training initiative.

2nd insert: Ghislain Boutoulle, hotel manager at Beaches Turks and Caicos (right) beams as he congratulates bar department team member, Andrew Clarke on his successful course completion.