Dav id Wan Pres ident , The Jamai ca Employers Federat ion The Jamaica Employers Federation takes great pleasure in saluting the HEART/ NSTA Trust on forty years of sterling service to Trainees, Employers and the nation as a whole on this your fortieth anniversary. From the early beginnings with a modest cohort of 150 trainees, HEART/NSTA Trust has evolved into a powerhouse training institution, having trained a cumulative total of over 613,000 and certified over 254,000 through the National Council of Technical Vocational Education and Training (NCTVET). Today, HEART/NSTA boasts 28 HEART institutions, and over 80 Community Training Intervention (CTI) programmes. HEART /NSTA has been a monumental support institution to numerous businesses in the hospitality, wellness and beauty services, construction services, automotive services, creative arts, agriculture and ecological sciences, information and communication technology. Jamaica’s Vision 2030 is a bold plan for taking Jamaica to the next level in all aspects of development and we have no doubt that HEART/NSTA will continue to play a vital role in enabling the desired outcomes of Vision 2030. We salute HEART/NSTA Trust and we eagerly anticipate your continuing evolution to meet the changing needs of the workplace and to making thousands of Jamaicans workplace ready. Congratulations! MESSAGES Kei th Duncan Pres ident , The Pr i vate Sector Organi sat ion of Jamai ca The Private Sector Organisation Of Jamaica (PSOJ) congratulates HEART/NSTA Trust on your momentous 40th Anniversary milestone. HEART/NSTA Trust is undoubtedly a unique institution. It boasts decades of solid contribution to the training and certification of Jamaica’s workforce to international standards. This has contributed directly to stimulating investment, creating more jobs, and increasing the productivity of our citizens, businesses, and the nation. The PSOJ fully endorses a restructured HEART/NSTA Trust to meet the demands of the labour force as a viable option for skills training. HEART/NSTA Trust is a critical agency for the transformation of Jamaica’s economy through human capital development. Through our Human Capital Development Committee, the PSOJ is equally focused on researching and advocating for enhanced workforce development, along with other issues impacting our labour market, with a view to increase Jamaica’s competitiveness. The report of the Economic Recovery Task Force dated June 30, 2020, emphasizes accessible training and certification as an important pillar for the revitalization of Jamaica’s economy. Skills and vocational trainingwill assist not only in the redeployment of displaced employees, but also in the encouragement of lifelong learning within the framework of re-tooling and re-skilling of workers. This will serve to motivate workers, including youth and those with entrepreneurial leanings, to seize opportunities, thus boosting innovation and productivity in our economy. The global pandemic has made it apparent that flexibility and the skill of adaptation are key requirements in the ever-changing landscape of workforce needs for 2022 and beyond. HEART/NSTA has proven itself adept at this necessary “pivoting” and has remained observant and ready to address emerging employment trends, especially in the past few years. The May 2022 skills gap survey undertaken by HEART/NSTA serves as a pivotal guidepost for public and private sector entities in re-tooling our labour force to meet the country’s developmental needs. One of the most significant UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is Goal #17: Partnerships for the Goals. Public-private partnerships and the involvement of civil society are critical as we seek to strengthen our response to the ongoing national education transformation challenges. The PSOJ applauds HEART/NSTA’s hearty embrace of this concept, as it has maintained its penchant for collaboration with a wide range of private sector and community-based partners over the years. Pooling resources, expertise, and capabilities to create a stronger and more sustainable platform for youth employment makes perfect sense in this challenging environment. As we strive to build a stronger, more resilient nation, The PSOJ stands ready to assist in whatever way we can to realise this vision. The PSOJ wishes HEART/NSTA Trust continued success as it plays a vital role in providing quality, equitable, and lifelong learning opportunities to the Jamaican workforce. 7
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