HMRAJ signs MOU with HEART Trust/NTA
THE HUMAN Resource Management Association of Jamaica (HRMAJ) last Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the HEART Trust/ NTA (HEART) to promote the acceptance of the National Vocational Qualification of Jamaica (NVQ-J) and the Caribbean Vocational Qualification certificates (CVQ) in the workplace.
This MOU is the second agreement signed between the entities since 2015. Under the agreement, HRMAJ and HEART will share information and technical expertise to advance the development of Jamaica’s human capital.
Karl Williams, president of HRMAJ, endorsed the initiative and cited the importance of HEART’s graduates to Jamaica’s development, noting that the work of the HEART Trust is important to achieving Jamaica’s Vision 2030 goals, with the development of the human capital forming a major part in realising this vision.
“Certification is extremely important for us to achieve the economic targets of this country, and we at HRMAJ really respect the work that HEART is doing,” Williams said.
He also called on more employers to come on board, highlighting that human resource managers will have to lead the charge at accepting skilled workers at all levels.
“If we don’t lead with stakeholders in education and employers to develop the kind of competences and talents that are required to transform the workforce, then we are going to have an unbalanced labour force. We are committed to
ensuring that HEART certification becomes an acceptable part of the hiring process,” Williams said.
Dr Janet Dyer, managing director of HEART Trust/NTA, shared in her remarks that she believes the MOU signing has come at a pivotal moment; noting that it is a time when workers must be able to adapt well to changing market conditions and to exercise greater flexibility to meet not only the requirements of their jobs, but to be compliant with legislation and global market trends.
The NVQ-J qualification falls under the National Qualifications Framework, which helps a country to provide trained and certified workers at an international standard.
“The HEART Trust/NTA recognises the change in labour market conditions and seeks to equip our people to handle these changes to meet demands and maximise Jamaica’s full growth potential,” she said.
Dr Dyer added: “It is important that the NVQ-J be positioned as a valuable certificate of competence, as it qualifies that a certified individual has garnered the skills which directly fit their scope of work in the industry.”
The HEART Trust/NTA is also looking to increase the current five-level tier of the NQF certificate programme to eight-levels, meaning that certification now starts from lower secondary (Level 1) to doctoral degree (Level 8). The Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com