Jamaican reggae crooner Buju Banton, on his single Til I’m Laid to Rest, declared, “I know the East is the best, all the propaganda dem spread, tongues will haffi confess”.
The East was the best on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, as the HEART/NSTA Trust TVET School Tour made its third stop at the school with “royal roots” – Haile Selassie High School, named for Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I.
The Payne Land community enjoyed a vibrant affair as the Trust’s Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Office and Region 1 institutions filled the school’s quadrangle with booths. Students from Clan Carthy High School and Kingston Technical High School joined their peers from Haile Selassie High School for the day.
Why the School Tour
Speaking on the Trust’s strategic vision for the tours, Director of Community Engagement Ronique Rhoden stressed the need for students to have early exposure to, and greater awareness of, the many opportunities TVET can provide. She noted that the tours bring the products and services of the HEART/NSTA Trust directly to communities and to young people who often see limited options for career progression.
“We want to share all the good news about HEART,” Rhoden said. “We found that many of the young people lack awareness about what TVET can do for them. We want them to learn about careers in TVET and the potential for earning. The world has evolved and there are many more skills for them to choose from. There are also some skills they take for granted, like doing hair or nails, that they can be certified in and earn from. We want them to know we are offering free training up to Level 5 – the degree level.”
Principal Anniona Jones reinforced the point of early exposure, drawing on the rich cultural history of the school. She linked the hands-on nature of TVET training to the African tradition of children learning by mirroring adults in activities such as hunting, farming and dance. She also pointed to education systems in Asia where students are introduced to TVET as early as their cognitive development allows.
“The more you can expose children to skills development, the more you’re going to get children who are not just more physically agile, but intellectually savvy,” Principal Jones said. “So here at Selassie, we started from grade seven and exposed them to all the TVET areas.”
The Programme
The official programme opened with a welcome from the school’s dynamic leader, Principal Jones, followed by a spirited prayer from Pastor Donna Pengelly. Students were then encouraged to visit the booths.
Entertainment ranged from a creative dance by the Haile Selassie Dance Group to a Hula Hoop Competition guided by the Trust’s Community Engagement Manager, Kymberly Bell.
As at every stop on the tour so far, FYAH 105 broadcast live on location, conducting interviews and providing the soundtrack for the youthful energy in the space.
Skills in Action
Skills in Action live demonstrations ran throughout the day. Trainees from the Boys’ Town Campus cooked live, while the National Tools and Engineering Institute (NTEI) showcased its WorldSkills gold medallist, Brandon Brown, who introduced attendees to optoelectronics – a new and emerging skill area within electronics, focused on the design and manufacture of devices that produce, detect and control light.
“Examples range from things as simple as the lights in your house to things as complex as the billboards that change advertisements while you’re driving,” Brown explained. “There’s the light technology doctors use to help fix eye issues, and also smart cars that can identify signs and symbols. That’s all under the scope of optoelectronics.”
Partners MoreTuh Beauty, Nonovi Design and Nadz Expression offered interactive demonstrations and Try-A-Skill experiences, and students from all three schools were actively involved in cosmetology. Additional information was provided to the students by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the National Council on Drug Abuse, Grace Mighty Malt and UNICEF.
Fourteen-year-old Tash Waugh already has her sights set. “I hope one day I can attend the HEART College of Beauty Services to follow my dream of becoming a cosmetologist,” she said.
For students like Jhanoy Matthews, a grade eleven student of Haile Selassie High School, the day pointed to a clear path. “The skills I want to learn about are food and nutrition and housekeeping, which are here,” he said. “I like all the food stands and all the housekeeping stations set up. So yes, I’m looking forward to learning more in both of those skill areas.”
Meanwhile, the smell of pasta prepared by the Boys’ Town trainees permeated the space, and more than a few students were walking about with a cheesy white moustache.
TVET in the Age of AI
In the auditorium, students engaged with Feliciano Thorpe, Career Development Officer, in a presentation on TVET Career Pathways – the skills that Artificial Intelligence (AI) cannot replace, such as plumbing.
The HEART/NSTA TVET School Tour continues at Little London High School in Westmoreland. Follow us on social media @heartnsta for more details.