65 To Graduate From CSJP Skills Training Programme July 2nd, 2009

Sixty five young men from 15 inner city communities in Kingston and St. Andrew will graduate this week from a Level I Welding programme offered by the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP) of the Ministry of National Security through the Kingston YMCA.

The graduation ceremony will take place on Thursday, July 2nd starting at 2:00 p.m. at the Kingston YMCA on Hope Road. All young men have completed not only level one Welding classes, but a package of other courses designed to help them handle issues on the job and everyday life. These include : Remedial classes; life skills classes which imparts conflict resolution and other social skills; entrepreneurial skills, data operations and group and individual counseling. 

Forty one members of the graduation class have been assessed as fully competent in theoretical and practical application of Welding and as such will be NVQJ-certified (National Vocational Qualification of Jamaica) by the HEART NTA. The other 24 graduates will receive a certificate of participation and move on the reading programme offered by the CSJP at the Heart NTA-accredited Operation Friendship institution on East Bell Road in Kingston. Twenty five young men from the HEART NTA-certified group will also be moving on, to the CSJP Level II Welding programme offered at HEART NTA/Operation Friendship.

The Welding programme is one of several skills training programmes offered by the CSJP to help make young people from inner city communities employable.  CSJP’s caring community action team works tirelessly to refer people to the services they need.

Other services offered by the Programme include : Conflict resolution for homes, schools and communities; Mentorship programmes; Organizational development for community based organizations; Cultural development services; Educational programmes such as homework assistance, remedial education and CXC Math and English; Life Management Skills such as substance abuse education, referrals to social services, parenting education, personal development; Skills training/Entrepreneurial training; Leadership training for community based organizations; Improvement of community infrastructure such as community centres, recreational facilities and sanitation facilities. 

The services are offered to 26 inner city communities in the Corporate Area, St. James and Westmoreland.  The communities served in Kingston and St. Andrew are, Ambrook Lane/Cassia Park; August Town; Denham Town; Drews Land; Fletchers Land; Grants Pen; Greater Allman Town; Hannah Town; Kencot; Mountain View; Parade Gardens (Southside/Tel-A-Viv); Rockfort; Tower Hill; Trench Town; Waterhouse.