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CMI - supporting the hub through training

Published:Tuesday | April 15, 2014 | 12:00 AM
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Dr Fritz Pinnock, executive director of the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) and logistics 101 lead trainer, presents a certificate of participation to a resident of the Old Harbour Bay community who attended the training. From left: Joan Andrea Hutchinson, communications consultant at the Ministry of Industry, Investment, and Commerce; a fellow resident; and Osric Forrest, CMI's director of the School of Advanced Skills observe the proceedings.
Joan Andrea Hutchinson (left), representative from the MIIC, engages members of the Old Harbour Bay community in discussion about Jamaica's logistics hub initiative after the delivery of the logistics 101 presentation.
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With the logistics hub on the horizon being touted in many circles as the last chance for Jamaica's sustainable economic growth, education about logistics becomes critical to build support among ordinary Jamaicans.

To this end, the Caribbean Maritime Institute, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry, Investment, and Commerce, has been offering one-day logistics 101 training across the island free of cost.

The course provides a fundamental understanding of logistics - what it entails and how it works in businesses, homes, and other contexts. Buzz terms such as 'hub', 'shipping', 'off shore', 'value-added services', 'fourth node' and 'supply chain' are thoroughly explained in a four-hour presentation and follow-up discourse.

The initiative is endorsed by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Transport, Works, and Housing, and to date, approximately 10,000 persons have been trained in logistics 101. This number includes media practitioners, politicians, health professionals, and educators, among others.

The concept of a hub fully explained

The Jamaica Logistics Hub initiative aims to provide value-added services to assist and enhance global trade and to establish Jamaica as the fourth node in the worldwide network of trade and commerce. This involves a large-scale approach to reorganising resources and acquiring new ones. It is considered that Singapore, Dubai, and Rotterdam are the other three nodes in the global supply chain.

One component of the initiative is constructing multiple economic zones that will attract major companies to create job opportunities. Some of these jobs will include underwater welders, carpenters, plumbers, mechatronics technicians, drivers of various heavy equipment, crane operators and operators of port equipment, maintenance technicians and engineers, logistics personnel, data entry clerks, call centre employees, and the list goes on.

The key to building a transformative workforce is to train and certify people in the long term. Training and retraining are critical to getting the workforce ready for these emerging jobs. Certification and training will be offered at the Caribbean Maritime Institute in collaboration with HEART Trust/NTA and local universities and community colleges.

Rational and social effects

Internationally, the training has contributed significantly to Jamaica's recent improvement on the global logistics efficiency scale. Jamaica has a rich maritime history and an understanding of this heritage will enable citizens to make significant contributions to the hub in their own ways. Training to satisfy the human capital inventory as required for national development plans and global demands is critical to the success of this initiative.

To receive your training, call or email the Caribbean Maritime Institute at 618-2047, inunes@cmi.edu.jm.