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JAMAICA: Residents welcome Skills Training Programme for youth in West Central St. Catherine

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#Jamaica, December 27, 2017 – Kingston – Trishania Jackson Taylor is one of 104 residents of West Central St. Catherine enrolled in a training programme for unattached youth, which has been embraced by the entire community.   The programme, which the mother of one joined some two months ago, represents a major stepping stone in realizing Ms. Jackson Taylor’s once unimaginable dream of becoming a teacher.

In light of the opportunity to this end coming her way through the programme, Ms. Jackson Taylor is relishing the thought of finally achieving this goal on completing her studies.   The initiative is the brainchild by Health Minister and Member of Parliament, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, and is being spearheaded through Future Hope, an organization he was instrumental in establishing, with support from other stakeholders.

The programme offers certification in Early Childhood Education, Allied Nursing, and Webpage Design, among other vocations, with certification by HEART Trust/NTA.   It is being financed through the Constituency Development Fund and other sources, with courses being delivered at the Kitson Town community resource centre, and Tacius Golding High School.

The effusive Ms. Jackson Taylor recalls her encounter with a group of uniformed persons at the centre while taking her son to school one morningShe tells JIS News that on inquiring, she was told that the individuals were involved in a training programme at the centre. She says she was further advised of the sole remaining spot for enrolment in the early childhood teacher training programme, at the time.

Ms. Jackson Taylor says she seized the opportunity to enroll and looks forward to graduating and securing a job, thereby breaking the monotonous cycle of “staying at home”.   She describes the programme as a “good thing”, adding that “it is overwhelming, knowing that my dreams are finally coming to pass”.

Ms. Jackson Taylor points out that many of the community’s young people are showing interest in the initiative, noting that since enrolling, she has seen other persons inquiring about it, adding that “it is really a good thing to empower (the) young people”.

Another resident, certified electrician, Johnnoy Cameron, who also heard about the programme and enrolled to be trained as a webpage designer, contends that “I am going to be an even better person (by acquiring) this skill”.   Another student, Natasha Martin, says she is using the opportunity to equip herself with an additional skill to enhance her job marketability as also position herself to become self-employed and, in the process, boost her economic base.

Speaking at the programme’s recent launch at the Kitson Town centre, Dr. Tufton said it represented a “great start”, particularly for young persons seeking skills training, adding that the feedback is “a good indication that people want to be empowered”.   He advised that an additional $1.5 million will be spent to purchase medical equipment for the nursing students.

The Minister pointed out that this will ensure that “you can practice, and truly qualify, not only in books (but)…on the clinical side”.   He said the areas of training were chosen based on market demand, to enable participants to be adequately be prepared for a “reasonable chance” at becoming gainfully employed.

Dr. Tufton indicated that Future Hope’s establishment is grounded in the vision of providing training and education for the persons, so that “you can be better off later on…and live in an environment of peace and security”.

HEART Trust Coordinator, Cammeshia Harrison, notes that there is growing demand for health professionals and webpage developers in particular, and urges students in those and other courses to “continue to work hard and do well”.

Programme Coordinator, Lena Russell, who is also Principal of Tacius Golding High School, points out that the partnership forged to facilitate the initiative is solutions-oriented and pivotal to realizing the improvements being sought by the students in their personal and professional development.

“These participants will broaden their experiences, own their employability and lead innovation.  These participants are a delightful bunch who are eager to learn and (are motivated in this regard),” she adds.

The Kitson Town community resource centre is managed by the Kitson Town Community Development Committee, which is chaired, Devon Thompson,   He says the group is committed to supporting the training programme, which they regard as a means of empowering community members.

Social Development Commission Community Development Officer, Norda Lyons, contends that the programme is a journey for the students, at the end of which “you will be happy that you participated in this great initiative”.

By: Garfield Angus (JIS)

 

 

 

 

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STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS EXPECTED TO ASSIST GOV’T PLANNING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE 

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KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.

This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.

“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.

He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).

Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.

“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.

“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.

Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.

Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.

The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.

The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.

NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.

CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON

 

 

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Haiti- ECHO humanitarian efforts

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Rashaed Esson

Staff writer

#Haiti#Crisis#HumanitarianEfforts#ECHO, April 23rd, 2024 – Due to the worsening Humanitarian crisis in Haiti with an increase in death toll and injured people, The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), launched an emergency airlift of 5 flights carrying essentials which include up to 62 tons of medicine as well as emergency shelter equipment, and water and sanitation items. These were brought to Cap Haitien according to a report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on April 19, as the international Airport in Port au prince remains closed following the gang attack last month.

 

 

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Dominica repeals laws criminalizing gay sex

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Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#Dominica#LGBTQIA, April 24, 2034- Dominica has decided to remove colonial era laws that criminalized gay sex, joining Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda.

This comes almost five years after a man of the queer community, whose identity was withheld for his safety, spoke out against Dominica’s laws in 2019, saying they violated his  rights.

 

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