State Minister Crawford Calls on Jamaicans to Enrol in Free iamtheCODE Caribbean Digital Skills Programme

Hon. Rhoda Moy Crawford, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, is calling on Jamaicans to make use of complimentary online technology instruction offered by iamtheCODE Caribbean (IATCC) as a way to strengthen their job prospects.

She pointed out that hiring managers increasingly value candidates who can write code, oversee digital initiatives, tackle intricate challenges, express ideas clearly and approach work with imagination.

"So, it's beyond the big and fancy degrees that we now turn up with. If you don't have these additional skills, more often than not, you'll be left behind," she said.

Ms. Crawford delivered her remarks during the graduation ceremony for the inaugural group of participants in the IATCC training programme, held at S Hotel in New Kingston on Saturday (July 4).

The initiative, co-founded by Nadeen Matthews Blair and Mariame McIntosh Robinson, seeks to provide underserved young people between the ages of 18 and 30 with practical digital abilities that open doors to work.

Delivery of the course is handled by TEACH Caribbean, a Jamaican educational non-governmental organisation established by Jamaican Rhodes Scholars and launched with initial funding from the Rhodes Trust in the United Kingdom (UK).

Participants follow a blended syllabus covering coding, HyperText Markup Language (HTML), JavaScript, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), the Python programming language, project management, design thinking and communication skills.

"This is a good programme. Anything that has to do with education, skills training, developing, empowering our young people, I am very interested and want to be a part of that," Ms. Crawford said.

"These are tools for the future workforce that enable innovation, entrepreneurship, problem solving and economic growth. Most importantly, they position Jamaica and Jamaicans to compete in a global digital economy," she added.

The Education State Minister observed that the global economy is undergoing rapid technological change, with artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analysis, automation and digital commerce altering industries and changing how countries generate prosperity.

She argued that nations willing to adopt new technologies and cultivate digital expertise stand the best chance of succeeding.

"Digital literacy is no longer optional. It is necessary. That is why we continue to expand access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education; increase opportunities for technical educational training and we are now realigning learning with the demands of the modern labour market," she added.

Ms. Crawford praised the IATCC co-founders for introducing the initiative to Jamaica.

"It's not possible for Government alone to solve all the issues, the problems or to bring opportunities to its people. Government continues and will always continue to rely on partnership with the private sector," she said.

"As a Ministry, as part of the Government, we salute all the partners who have come on board to be offering this programme and to be able to reach a cohort of students who we have not been able to reach," she added.

Speaking with graduates after the ceremony, Ms. Crawford said one woman running her own business spoke about how the training helped her sharpen skills to grow her enterprise.

"Sometimes we don't fully understand the extent or the impact of our reach until you hear from those who it is directly benefiting, and especially in an area male-dominated. So, when you see females stepping up and wanting to be part of the programme, it's a big deal," she said.

iamtheCODE was established by Senegalese-born French social entrepreneur Lady Mariéme Jamme, with a goal of preparing one million women and girls as coders by 2030.

In October 2025, iamtheCODE formalised a Memorandum of Understanding for Jamaica to become the 89th country to enter an Africa-led effort to digitally upskill marginalised women and girls and underserved youth.

Support for the programme comes from the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, the Mastercard Foundation and additional partners.

iamtheCODE Caribbean will soon begin enrolling a second cohort, and persons wishing to apply may register through the organisation's website at https://www.iamthecode.org/.