THE WATER Valley community's dream of a training centre was finally realised with this week's enrolment of 15 students at the newly-constructed Water Valley Training Centre in St. Ann.
This training opportunity for residents to upgrade their computer skills is the result of a partnership between the Bauxite Community Development Programme (BCDP), Kaiser Jamaica Bauxite Company (KJBC) and the HEART Trust/NTA. The building was
constructed by KJBC and equipped with computers and furniture with funding from the BCDP. HEART is overseeing the training and
management of the centre. All three agencies share the cost of instruction.
Complaints had emerged that training opportunities had been lacking for youths in the
community, who might otherwise have been able to secure jobs at the nearby Kaiser plant. Kaiser has invested extensively in improving amenities for the Water Valley community.
The first course being offered is in computer applications. Participants who successfully complete the programme will be awarded NVQ-J Level One
certification. It is projected that 90 students will be trained over a one-year period.
MEMORANDUM OF
UNDERSTANDING
The Water Valley programme falls under a memorandum of understanding signed between the Jamaica Bauxite Institute which manages the BCDP and HEART back in June 2000, in which HEART agreed to undertake specialised technical and professional training for the BCDP.
Skills training is an important part of the BCDP, a programme set up by the Government in 1996 to reinvest earnings from the bauxite and alumina industry in communities located close to mining and refining operations. Since the programme's inception, approximately $5.3 million has been spent training 266 persons in information technology, home and hospitality management,
cosmetology, electrical installation, welding, plumbing, and tractor operation.
