The light brush of cool morning air — a rarity with a summer heat of Dante proportions — the vibrant red of Manchester earth, and the patches of white marl in the surrounding hills provided a scenic backdrop at Winston Jones High School on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, as the first in a series of TVET school tours got underway.
The serenity of the morning was soon eclipsed by the chatter of high school students exiting buses or scattering across the various blocks overlooking the quadrangle where the booths were set up.
A Dynamic Shift in Energy
From the start at 10 a.m. to the time of closing sometime after 1 p.m., the energy shifted constantly. It moved from entertainment and infotainment—with the MC and radio crew inviting students to do impromptu jingles on the theme, “Skills for Life, Skills for Work, Skills for the Future”—to the buzzing of electrical machines, and the wind wrestling with the decorative pieces in the booths as visitors looked at the displays.
Students came in droves to the interactive displays like the aeroponics tower of the St. John Bosco Vocational Training Centre. Some were excited by the fact that they could drink Grace Mighty Malt drinks courtesy of our sponsor. Others tried the FunDoo Digital Life Coach via Whatsapp.
Still others were eager to explore offerings in fields ranging from digital technology, Allied health, welding and construction on show by the Southwest TVET Institute (Derrick Rochester Campus) and the Institute of Innovation and Technology. For many, the visit offered a tangible glimpse into career paths that can take them straight from the classroom into the global economy. JN Bank and The Consumer Affairs Commission were also a big hit with visitors
On the Ground: Reaching the Overlooked
This is HEART/NSTA on the ground, reaching those who would normally be overlooked. When asked why the tour was important, Ms Fredrica Webster, Parish Manager said, “We get to market our programmes, products and services. And these high schools are our main feeder entities in the region; going forward we will be partnering with the schools to train their staff and to certify students in some key areas in agriculture like crop production.”
Empowering Jamaica’s Youth
The Trust remains committed to empowering Jamaica’s youth through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The TVET School Tour is scheduled to run from September to November 2026. All tours will provide students with information on career pathways, skills training opportunities, certification programmes, entrepreneurship, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities available through the Trust. The tours will also support recruitment efforts and strengthen partnerships with educational institutions.
As the Community Engagement team rolls out subsequent stops across the island—from St. Mary and Haile Selassie High Schools in the east to Little London High School in the west—the message remains clear: the future of work is technical, and HEART/NSTA is bringing that future directly to the nation’s schools.