Corporate Area homeless to get skills training, certification
Published:Tuesday | October 11, 2022 | 12:09 AMJudana Murphy/Gleaner Writer
Homeless people in the Corporate Area will soon have the opportunity to gain technical or vocational skills training from the State’s leading human capital development agency, HEART/NSTA Trust.
Registration began yesterday as the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) Poor Relief Department observed World Homeless Day under the theme ‘Changing the Lives of Persons Experiencing Homelessness Through Community Involvement and Career Development’.
KSAMC CEO Robert Hill said a fact-finding mission was conducted and the HEART/NSTA Trust found it a fruitful ground for engagement.
Participants will be taught basic numeracy and literacy skills and will have the option of choosing courses in plumbing, electrical installation, carpentry and information technology, among other areas.
“These are programmes that are able to engage them, to create an environment for them to get back on stream into normal life, and also bring back some semblance of increased dignity about the person, so they can independently go about seeking employment through the training that will be offered to them,” Hill told The Gleaner.
He said that the spend will be determined after registration is complete and every effort will be made to ensure that participants see the courses through to completion.
“They will sign a commitment document. I know it is difficult, and persons may initially express interest, but the HEART/NSTA Trust and us (KSAMC) have the agreement to encourage and keep them focused and to ensure that the counselling works in collaboration with the training,” Hill reasoned.
Representatives from the Ministry of Justice’s Victim Support Unit, RISE Life Management Services and HEART/NSTA Trust were present at a fair hosted on Monday to offer literacy assessments, career development coaching and counselling.
STILL VULNERABLE
Earlier this month, five teens were charged with the brutal murder of a homeless man, who was set ablaze on August 29.
Lionel Johnson was pronounced dead at the Kingston Public Hospital as a result of injuries sustained after being doused with a substance and lit near National Heroes Circle.
Last year, several homeless people were attacked in a string of attacks across the Corporate Area as they slept on the streets, resulting in multiple fatalities.
As World Homeless Day was celebrated on Monday, Hill noted that they remain vulnerable.
Hill, who is also the town clerk, told The Gleaner that the KSAMC has engaged the Area 4 and 5 police divisions, who have committed to providing support, particularly in hotspot areas across Kingston and St Andrew.
“There is going to be increased monitoring of these spaces and we already have set up a reporting template between ourselves and the police to ensure that there is enough coverage and surveillance of these areas, so there’s a minimisation or a complete termination of any acts of violence against homeless persons,” he explained.
Further, he said that, with the support of municipal police, poor relief officers will continue to carry out covert surveillance in areas that are potentially dangerous to the homeless.
Jamaica’s homeless population is in excess of 2,000, with at least half of that number in the Corporate Area.
Hill told The Gleaner that more homeless people have been seeking refuge at shelters since the Corporate Area attacks last year.
“Unfortunately, the message had to be sent through these acts, but we are encouraged because we have seen an increase in the take-up of services of about 18 to 25 per cent. We are happy that the word has gone out and that we are able to serve the clients in a manner that they truly deserve,” Hill said.
He said operations have been going smoothly at the Desmond McKenzie Transitional Centre for the Homeless on King Street, which was opened on May 27.
The facility will undergo its first-quarter assessment shortly to measure how well the transitional exercises have been impacting the homeless population.