Administrative Assistant, Instructors, etc (Trench Town Polytechnic Skills Training Centre) - Kingston, Jamaica

 Trench Town Polytechnic Skills Training Centre invites suitably qualified persons to fill the following vacancies:

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

The candidate must have:

• Four (4) CXCs including Math, I.T. and English or HEART-NSTA Level 2 Administrative Assistant/Records Management.
• Two (2) years work experience in an administrative position
• Excellent communication, time management and organizing skills, and the requisite professional acumen are mandatory

INSTRUCTORS (HOUSEKEEPING, BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION & BARTENDING)

The candidate must have:

• A Bachelor's degree or VTDI Diploma/Teachers' Diploma in the subject area to be taught with at least three (3) years experience as a CBET Instructor.
• The following are also required:
• Knowledge of HEART/NSTA Trust policies and procedures
• General knowledge of relevant industry best practices
• General knowledge of the TVET system
• Excellent time management skills; the ability to multi-task and maintain a schedule
• Well developed communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to operate machines and equipment relevant to the skill area

DRIVER/MESSENGER (LMO/DR 2)

The candidate must have:

• At least a high school or NCTVET Certificate
• Possession of a safe driving record and police report
• A valid driver's licence
• Excellent communication, time management and organizing skills
• The requisite professional acumen (mandatory)

DISHWASHER (EIGS/GS 1) 

The candidate must have:

• HEART-NSTA level 1 or level 2 certification or above 
• A valid food handler's permit
• At least one (1) year experience as a dishwasher
• Excellent time management skills
• Ability to multi-task and maintain a schedule while responding to incidents
• Ability to handle cleaning chemicals safely, and the requisite professional acumen are mandatory

GROUNDSMAN (EIGS/GS 1)

The candidate must have: 

• HEART-NSTA level 1 or 2 certification in turf management/grounds maintenance/gardening and landscaping
• Possess superior skills in maintaining the grounds functionally and aesthetically
• Preferred candidate is physically fit, detail-oriented and organized
• Proficient with operating grounds-keeping equipment and have two (2+) plus years of work experience in a similar position

HEAD COOK (EIGS/GS 2) 

The candidate must have: 

• HEART-NSTA Level 2 certification or above in Commercial Food Preparation and valid food handler's permit
• Skills in determining food supplies, planning menus, preparing and serving a variety of nutritious meals
• Strict adherence to hygiene protocols
• At least two (2) years of work experience 
• Ability to multi-task and cope in a high pressure environment are required

Kindly email an application letter and resume to: 

The Chairman,

Board of Management,

C/o The Principal,

hr@trenchtownpolytechnic.edu.jm

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Vice Principal (Kingston Technical High School) - Kingston, Jamaica

 Kingston Technical High School

82 Hanover Street, Kingston.

Tel: (876) 922-6085

http://kingstontechnicalhighschool.edu.jam/

The Kingston Technical High School Board of Management is seeking a creative, progressive educational leader to serve as a Vice Principal

The successful candidate must be a student-first, team oriented, collaborative and experienced leader with a strong and evidence-based background in both academic and social-emotional learning. Kingston Technical High School seeks to create and maintain a positive learning environment that fosters student and staff success as well as continuous improvement. Candidates must be able to apply strong interpersonal and communication skills to promote a shared commitment to school improvement and student learning, be passionate about assisting in building a progressive learning community and open to coaching and support.

These qualities must be supported by:

• Bachelors' Degree in Education or related fields.
• Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Certification.
• Minimum five (5)  years' teaching experience/or a proven track record of Senior Leadership in a Secondary School.
• Adequate knowledge of the Education Act and Regulations, the Financial Administration and Audit Act (FAA) and also related legislations.
• The ability to be a strong disciplinarian who exhibits high professional standards, ethics, values and integrity.

The following would be an asset for the right candidate

• Master's degree in School Administration or equivalent.
• NCEL Aspiring Principal's Certification or Training.

Kingston Technical High School was established in 1896 by the Education Board of Jamaica. It is the first technical institution in Jamaica. It has a tradition of excellence in Academics, Sports, Performing Arts and Discipline. The school has embarked on an ambitious path for institutional transformation to lead the progressive and changing evolution of educational delivery for the 21st century.

The applicant of choice for this challenging, but exciting opportunity, must complete the Vice Principal's Application Form available at the Regional Office of the Ministry of Education and Youth, Heroes Circle, Kingston 4, or from the Ministry's website: https://moey.gov.jm and submit same along with a letter of interest and a current curriculum vitae or resume by May 31, 2023. 

The package should be forwarded in confidence by email or delivered by hand to the School's main office. It should be addressed as follows.

The Chairman

c/o The Principal 

Kingston Technical High School

82 Hanover Street

Kingston.

Workshops for Entrepreneurs held in Kingston yesterday. (Jamaica 2018)

Edited March 27, 2018.

The founder and chairman of New Fortress Energy (NFE), Wes Edens, partnered with the Jonathan M. Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship at Brown University and the Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM) to host two (2) entrepreneurship workshops yesterday (March 26, 2018). Mr. Edens' company has poured significant investment into helping Jamaica smoothly transition into the natural gas industry. He revealed that the workshops are part of his commitment to support economic development and job creation in Jamaica.

These workshops were held at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, at 9:30 am, and at 3:00 pm at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel. They were led by Danny Warshay, award winning educator, successful entrepreneur, and executive director of the Jonathan M. Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship at Brown University.

A press release from the organisers said that Warshay would assist workshop participants to develop entrepreneurial confidence, learn how to master and apply the structured entrepreneurial process, use bottom-up research to find and validate unmet needs as well as build their entrepreneurial networks. Warshay also discussed the critical importance of observing and listening anthropologically and empathetically in the entrepreneurial process.

"Wherever I teach throughout the world, entrepreneurship is a key driver to economic development, and so teaching entrepreneurship is an essential catalyst for economic growth. I am excited to be leading these workshops in Jamaica, thanks to Wes Edens and the New Fortress Energy, as well as the University of the West Indies. Based on the successes of these kinds of workshops elsewhere, I am confident that participants will find value in them and that these efforts will create even more opportunities for entrepreneurs in Jamaica," Mr. Warshay said.


Earlier, speaking about the motivation behind the workshops, Jake Suski, managing director for public affairs at New Fortress Energy, commended Jamaicans for their entrepreneurial spirit:

"Jamaicans have a natural tendency toward entrepreneurship, evidenced by the many innovative businesses that make significant contributions to the economy. We want to help encourage and foster even more entrepreneurship in Jamaica and support growth alongside organisation like the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), First Angels, Branson Centre, and the universities who are already doing valuable work in this space."

Additionally, he reiterated the company and its founder's commitment to supporting entrepreneurship in Jamaica:

"Investment in sustainable growth of Jamaica by supporting entrepreneurship and education is central to the vision of our founder, Wes Edens, and we look forward to building meaningful partnerships and investing in programmes that will have a lasting impact," he said.

As part of its long-term investment in Jamaica's energy landscape, New Fortress Energy undertook several iniatives last year (2017), including breaking ground at Jamalco for the new gas-fired heat and power plant, which is estimated to create over 500 jobs.  In addition, as part of an overall partnership with the UWI, New Fortress Energy is funding 10 scholarships for UWI Mona students with clear need for financial assistance to pay for their tuition, and providing guest lecturers to the School Engineering for enhanced curriculum around natural gas, cryogenics and energy projects. The workshops are being hosted in association with the JBDC, DBJ and First Angels Jamaica.

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References

Job Market Preparation Tips just for You, part 2.

Hi guys! Last time we decided to take a peep at the 2017 jobs survey, today we wanna help you further to provide the information you need to make your job hunting experience a rewarding one. Whether you are a university/college student or currently out of school and actively looking for employment, this article is definitely for you.. Friends, now that you've read the first article [go here to read] we want to further proceed to give you practical steps as to what to do next...

A. Research your Career options

1. Do a review of the skills/educational opportunities you wish to pursue or currently pursuing and its relevance to the job market -
Visit your college/university to meet with your career and placement officer or guidance counselor and ask for advice about your interests. Reflect on your career and job interests and what area of study would best help you fulfill your career goals and potential. Yes, when persons enter university they already have in mind what they wish to study, but there is nothing wrong, especially at the early stages, in making adjustments and really taking a second look at your area of study and what you want to pursue.  Ask questions of the counselor, get their feedback and do further research to ensure that you have as much information as possible. It is sad to hear of graduates who after studying hard for their degree face set backs in finding employment in their specialisation. We do not want this to happen to you.

2. Be thoroughly knowledgeable about the content of your area of specialisation. Obtain relevant curriculum materials and become conversant with their requirements. There may be opportunities available to study certain courses or combination of courses that can give an edge in the industry or career you want to pursue.  

B. Be Prepared

1. Vet application documents - Have your current résumé reviewed. This can be done also at the school's careers and placement centre. Seek honest criticism, advice and take whatever steps necessary to re-structure your cover letter and résumé.

2. Job Interview Skills - Sharpen them up! Watch and listen to as many videos as possible, practice answering the questions and ask a friend to help you prepare. Read articles that address issues such as presentation, deportment, body language and communication during the interview. That way you will be properly prepared.

3. Speaking of communication, take the time to work on improving this skill both written and verbal as it is an essential tool to gaining career success. While working on it don't forget these other employability skills: critical thinking, interpersonal/human relations, team work, career management*, initiative, and computer and information technology skills. 

4. Work Experience - While in college seek opportunities to work in the area of your interest or as close to it as possible. For example, an Accountant should seek to gain as much experience working in an accounting/auditing firm or seek opportunity to work in the accounts department of a company. Aim as much as possible to gain practical experience in your interest.

C. On the Job Hunt

1. Develop your own job search action plan by doing the following:

a. Think about then write down your job or career goal

b. Make a list of your top job-related skills and abilities


c. List specific job-search actions and timelines for completion

2. Identify job leads through newspaper adverts, job/career websites, employment agencies, job fairs, Ministry of Education (the office and the official website) and the HEART Trust/NTA's Regional Career Office. 







3. Networking — Utilise your social and professional contacts. In communicating with your network linkages do not let your message be “help me get a job or I need a job”. Instead, express that you are prepared and available to assist an organisation to meet specific goals based on your skills.

4. Volunteer — Volunteer even for two days per week at a school to assist with marking exams or school-based assessment projects or you ask to help at your community's youth centre. Other organisations are often willing to engage volunteers, especially in areas of clerical task (data entry, filing, etc.) and customer service.

5. Be Confident about your abilities  — Be aware of what you can offer your prospective employer and use it as your marketing tool. Be confident going into a job interview, that way the employer will see that you know what you're capable of and you're ready to use your skills to build the company.

6. Explore entrepreneurship — Explore opportunities through which you can apply your training. For example, you could start a homework centre in your community. Through this initiative you could build your reputation and credibility as an excellent teacher and exam-preparation coach.

6. Be diligent — Treat your job search like a job. Persevere until you achieve success.


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References:
*Career management - "Career management is the combination of structured planning and the active management choice of one's own professional career..." 
(Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Career_management)  

Job Search Classified pic courtesy of Shutterstock

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this article, we are confident that information presented here will be useful to you and we hope that you will be generous in sharing this information with your friends and family!

If you are not already a member of this blog, we invite you to click 'Follow' and become a member, look for Members Sign In, and tell your friends about us. They can find us here: http://jamcareerfocus.blogspot.com. Tune in next time for another informative and educational article!

New Recruits for the JDF come November (2017)

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says that, come November, an additional 250 young people will be recruited by the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) under the Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC).

He said the new recruits will represent the second cohort drafted under the JNSC, which is the JDF's new intake mechanism, following an initial 234 young people who graduated on September 23 (2017) following 13 weeks of training.

The Prime Minister indicated that, unlike the first cohort, which had no females, “We certainly have women in the next intake.”

He was providing an update on the JNSC in a statement delivered during Tuesday's (September 26, 2017) sitting of the House of Representatives.

He further explained that the 13-week training exercise represented the first of five phases comprising a year-long programme for the initial recruits. Areas covered in the curriculum under phase one include discipline, military service knowledge, barracks room procedures, physical fitness and conditioning, foot and arms drills, basic field craft/adventure training, map reading, basic first aid, and basic signals.


The JNSC was established following an amendment to the Defence Act, which Mr. Holness tabled in Parliament in March (2017), and is a critical component of the JDF's employment and engagement strategy. It is integral to the Government's Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) initiative.

Mr. Holness noted that the newly minted soldiers will embody the JNSC's underpinning principle to Learn, Earn, Give (back) and Save (LEGS). He said they would do so by applying the JDF's core values of commitment, courage, honour, integrity, loyalty, and discipline.

“In order to have a safe, secure and progressive nation, we must uphold these values and make them a way of life by spreading them throughout Jamaica. This augurs well for Jamaica's development and engagement of its young people, particularly our unattached youth,” he added.

The Jamaica National Service Corps will facilitate an intake of 1,000 individuals to the JDF annually, representing an increase of more than 700 individuals, for 12 months of training in military, vocational and broader life skills. These skills will equip them for either an extended career in the JDF or engagement in other professional areas of interest.



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References

Several Scholarship Opportunities Now Open!

If you are serious about receiving a scholarship then you have to devote your time and energy into filling out applications and not only filling them out, but also making sure that they stand out.

• Remember you cannot apply for just one scholarship! You aren't 100% sure if you will receive it. It is best to keep yourself organised. If you have found more than one scholarship, make sure to write down the name of the scholarship, the amount it's worth, the due date and whether you have applied or not to give you a sort of balance.

• Most students also fail to write excellent essays when asked the question 'Why are you deserving of this scholarship?' or 'How will this scholarship aid in putting your best foot forward?'  It is almost impossible for some to even write about themselves. All you have to do is: 
1). Find out what most students write about
2). Write about something else!

It is that simple. Be unique as possible and highlight your personality in that essay.



• Last but certainly not least, recommendations.  Many students get nervous when they have to ask a teacher or the principal for a glowing recommendation, but if you know you are a good student and you have a good relationship with your teachers there is nothing to worry about.

If you don't know where to look for scholarships, all you have to do is literally type in 'Jamaican Scholarships' in the Google search engine and a variety of local and international scholarships will appear. 

Below are just a few scholarships that are now opened for applications:

• Senior Common Room Anniversary Scholarship (visit https://www.mona.uwi.edu/osf/scholarships/senior-common-room-anniversary-scholarship). The deadline is July 15, 2017.
• Credit Union Fund Management Company (CUFMC) Bursary (visit  https://www.mona.uwi.edu/osf/scholarships/credit-union-fund-management-company-cufmc-bursary). The deadline is July 15,2017.
• Courts Scholarship (www.courts.com.jm)
• Burger King Scholarships for different categories (visit any Burger King Restaurant for application forms). The deadline is July 14.



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References: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/teenage/Scholarship_Opportunities