Parkland College is proud to announce it has been selected to partner with a technical institute in Jamaica as part of Colleges and Institutes Canada's (CICan) Education for Employment (EFE) program in the Caribbean. This partnership will help develop essential skills and pre-technology training in key sectors of the Jamaican economy, and prepare students for employment.
Parkland College executives travelled to Ottawa last week to meet with delegates representing the Human Employment and Resource Training Trust, National Training Agency - known to most Jamaicans simply as HEART Trust. Parkland was one of three Canadian colleges interviewed and was ultimately chosen to develop essential skills programming for unemployed youth over the next two years.
"We are honoured to get to work on this important project," said Kami DePape, Director of Academics and Student Services at Parkland College. "It's exciting to share our expertise and collaborate with our new partners at HEART Trust."
Employers in the Caribbean often have difficulty attracting and retaining skilled, adaptable, and flexible workers, which they attribute to a lack of workforce preparedness, basic skills, and an understanding of expected workplace behaviour. This hinders economic development in the region. As a result, CICan seeks to improve the education system through its Caribbean Development Strategy and EFE program.
The EFE program aims to ensure that CICan is able to contribute to poverty reduction in developing countries. EFE supports private sector development through workforce training and micro-enterprise support in sectors of the economy where there is a lack of qualified workers and entrepreneurs. For more on International Partnerships, please visit www.collegesinstitutes.ca.
