Tue | May 14, 2024

Local church offers free online professional skills training

Published:Wednesday | January 4, 2023 | 12:48 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
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Lucretia Burt (right) collects her diploma in education leadership from Mildred Lee, Women’s Ministry director at the Church of God of Prophecy in Santa Cruz during a graduation excercise recently.
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Lucretia Burt (right) collects her diploma in education leadership from Mildred Lee, Women’s Ministry director at the Church of God of Prophecy in Santa Cruz during a graduation excercise recently.
Ann Kay Berry (right) accepts her diploma from Mildred Lee, Women’s Ministry director at the Church of God of Prophecy in Santa Cruz. Berry completed a course of study at the Open College University Experience in Montessorie teaching.
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Ann Kay Berry (right) accepts her diploma from Mildred Lee, Women’s Ministry director at the Church of God of Prophecy in Santa Cruz. Berry completed a course of study at the Open College University Experience in Montessorie teaching.
Dr Ellen Edwards, director at the Open College University Experience educational institution, owned and operated by the Church of God of Prophecy in Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth.
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Dr Ellen Edwards, director at the Open College University Experience educational institution, owned and operated by the Church of God of Prophecy in Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth.
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WESTERN BUREAU:

Dr Ellen Edwards, director of the online-based Open College University Experience, says close to 800 Jamaicans from all over the island have so far benefited freely from the educational outreach arm of the Church of God of Prophecy through its Santa Cruz branch in St Elizabeth.

The eight-month-old tertiary institution was established during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic as the church under the leadership of Bishop Allen and Ellen Edwards sought to ensure that at-risk children were given an opportunity to access tertiary education and to mitigate the negative impact it was having on the education sector at the time.

“This was an idea we had eight years ago, but it was not implemented until we saw that too many boys were left idle on the street during the pandemic when they should be at school. That moved us into action,” Edwards said.

She said the open college university concept commenced operations in 2022 as the Church of God of Prophecy, Community Development programme, and in the first six months provided professional training for 426 persons in a wide range of skills, including human resource management, business administration and other technical skills at the certificate, diploma and post-secondary education levels.

“It is a project started in the Santa Cruz Church of God of Prophecy, offering over 3,500 professional skills free of tuition,” Edwards explained. She noted that persons from all across the island are enrolling in the many disciplines on offer.

The academic staff, Dr Edwards says, is based in Ireland and has been facilitating students at the preferred time of studies in their online-based multi-disciplined tertiary institution.

“We organised the programme here in Jamaica and our students are being taught by expert trainers and certified by them from Ireland,” she told The Gleaner. “We are now making preparation towards offering associate degrees as well.”

According to Edwards, there are plans to approach the HEART Trust NSTA for assessment, certification and possible job placement for graduates.