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HEART/NSTA Trust ready to train ex-cons

Published:Monday | December 13, 2021 | 12:06 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
Novelette Denton Prince, acting managing director, HEART/NTSA Trust, speaks to Deputy Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang at the HEART/NTSA Trust and Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s stakeholders’ consultation held at the Montego Bay Conventio
Ashley Anguin
Novelette Denton Prince, acting managing director, HEART/NTSA Trust, speaks to Deputy Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang at the HEART/NTSA Trust and Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s stakeholders’ consultation held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on December 10.

WESTERN BUREAU:

Young men in St James who had difficulty getting into the formal sector as it relates to training and employment opportunities because of their criminal past, will not have that hurdle to climb going forward, as the HEART/NSTA Trust has decided to give them a chance to benefit from its technical vocational education and training programme.

Novelette Denton-Prince, acting managing director at the HEART/NSTA Trust, made that announcement during Thursday’s St James stakeholders’ meeting, which had National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang, member of parliament for St James North West, among the participants.

“At HEART/NSTA, we don’t discriminate as far as persons with criminal records are concerned. We don’t turn back anyone,” said Denton-Prince, explaining the opportunities available to ambitious young men during a round-table discussion.

To meet the need

The discussion formed part of a wider stakeholders’ consultation held under the theme ‘Transforming St James: Bridging the Gaps for Economic Growth and Development’, which was staged by the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. In outlining how the HEART/NSTA Trust could help to meet the needs of persons with criminal records in order to re-engage them into the country’s workforce, Denton-Prince said having a criminal record does not deter persons from accessing the suite of training it provides.

“Our training is for everyone, we embrace all of our trainees; nobody is left behind,” said Denton-Prince, while acknowledging that persons with criminal records, though trained by the HEART/NSTA Trust, might face some challenges when seeking employment.

“We don’t use that as a criterion for a person to come into the course. We try to find opportunities for them,” she said. “Employment might be a little difficult in the corporate world, but the training is also designed to create entrepreneurs, to let them create jobs for themselves.”

Chang, who was in support of the training opportunities, said there are alternative opportunities for persons with criminal records to continue to function normally in society.

“They will have to apply to the Ministry of Justice to have the records expunged,” said Chang. “Persons can be properly trained and certified by HEART in the construction industry, which does not immediately demand that its workers are free from having a criminal record.

“If they have issues which do not come under the expungement regime, then they have to choose a training programme that will not demand them having a record,” said Chang.