Four HEART trainees spend three months sharpening skills in China

Javier Farquharson’s path into robotics began three years ago at a supermarket job in Black River, St Elizabeth, when a flyer for the HEART/NSTA Trust Derrick Rochester Southwest Campus programme in Junction caught his eye. Curious, he followed up.

Now 22 and living in Rowes Corner, Manchester, Farquharson had long wanted to work with robots. The tuition-free course let him do exactly that, and he says the choice has been worthwhile.

His training has already taken him to the WorldSkills Autonomous Mobile Robotics Competition in France in 2024. He is now among four HEART/NSTA Trust trainees on a three-month scholarship in China.

The China Craftsman Valley 100 Scholarship Program is run by the UNESCO Global Skills Academy with China POCY Group. It aims to support 100 high-achieving young people from developing nations. The Jamaican cohort landed in China last week.

Farquharson heard about the award from his coordinator and called it a “very good opportunity”.

“I was quite excited to be a part of the programme. It was a great opportunity too, because the industrial robotics programme that I am doing here in China is like the other half of the mobile robotics programme that I am doing under the robotics branch,” he said.

He is enrolled at Caofeidian College of Technology and wants to return as a HEART/NSTA Trust trainer.

“It’s a new and emerging area. Since HEART is offering it for free, I want to be someone who can give youngsters, persons just exiting high school, the opportunity to learn this and make the most of this skill,” he said.

Shamar Brown, another awardee, is taking Hotel Management at Tangshan Maritime Institute in Caofeidian, Tangshan City. He told The Gleaner he plans to bring home what he learns over the three months and pass it on.

“I wish to go back, to be a part of a team where I can now teach or mentor persons of what to expect internationally and help them to create stuff where it matters,” he said.

The 19-year-old business owner first joined the HEART College of Hospitality Services in Runaway Bay, St Ann, to build his craft. At Garvey Maceo High School in Clarendon he had launched an ice cream venture and was urged to get formal instruction.

He began aiming to qualify as a commis chef — a junior kitchen role — then moved into hospitality and management, covering commis chef, food and beverage, front office and housekeeping.

Brown credits HEART with opening doors and sees the China placement as central to his growth.

“I really look forward to learning about the Chinese innovative approach to hospitality management, teamwork, leadership and problem solving. For me, these skills will strengthen my ability to deliver exceptional guest service experiences and, you know, prepare me for the future leadership role,” he said.

Programme coordinator Janet Dyer said the placement will give the trainees a priceless experience in China.

“HEART, being the national training agency with our focus on technical vocational education and training, sees this kind of opportunity for our young people as being very pivotal at this time when we are transitioning to the technological component of not the emerging skills, but the traditional skills that we have within the TVET system,” she said.

Tuition, lodging, field visits and meals are paid under the scholarship. HEART funds the students’ insurance and a $65,000 monthly stipend.

The remaining two participants are Janel Foster, who is studying Nursing, and Chrision McPherson, who is studying Hotel Management.

Dr Taneisha Ingleton, HEART’s managing director, said the award shows the agency’s instruction holds up against international benchmarks. Each trainee, she added, will build field-specific know-how abroad that local courses alone cannot fully supply.

“Collectively they return with upgraded skills, international networks, and the confidence of having been selected competitively. That benefits not only the individuals but the employers and sectors they re-enter,” she said.