HEART/NSTA Trust Digitises Courses in CARICOM TVET Pilot

The HEART/NSTA Trust has digitised three of its Level Two courses under a pilot programme initiated by CARICOM to standardise Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) across Member States.

Jamaica, Grenada, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago participated in the pilot.

The digitised programmes were uploaded to the Agency’s Moodle platform and have been available for delivery since May 18, 2026, across designated HEART/NSTA Trust institutions.

They include Waxing Technology Level Two at the HEART College of Beauty Services; Tiling Level Two at the HEART College of Construction Services; and Baker and Cake Technology Level Two at the HEART College of Hospitality Services.

Addressing the CARICOM TVET Digitalisation Project Closing Summit on May 27 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, HEART/NSTA Trust Managing Director, Dr. Taneisha Ingleton, emphasised the urgency and national importance of the initiative.

“As of July 2025, the Statistical Institute of Jamaica’s labour force data shows that approximately 25.5 per cent of Jamaica’s youth are not in employment, education or training. For HEART/NSTA Trust, that figure carries the weight of institutional responsibility. It is a mandate to expand access, strengthen flexibility and ensure that pathways to skills and certification reach those who need them most,” she stated.

Dr. Ingleton added that this development expands opportunities for skills training through asynchronous delivery, enhancing access and certification while increasing flexibility, participation, completion rates, regional reach, and self paced learning.

The Managing Director advised that by March 2027, HEART/NSTA Trust will digitise at least 10 additional programmes.

Vice Chair of HEART’s Board of Directors, Rayharna Wright, welcomed the partnership and reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to expanding accessible TVET delivery for Jamaicans.

“As a Board, we are especially encouraged by what this project signals for governance and institutional transformation. Digital TVET delivery strengthens reach. It allows us to extend learning opportunities beyond traditional physical limitations. It creates conditions for greater continuity, stronger learner support systems, enhanced quality assurance and more consistent delivery standards across institutions,” she said.

Deputy Programme Manager at the CARICOM Secretariat, Dr. Denise Stoney James, expressed gratitude to the development partners for their support in strengthening regional capacity.

“The platform that we have built and the educators that we have equipped are a result of strong partnership and shared vision,” she said.

Funding for the pilot was provided by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), the development agency of the Federal Republic of Germany.