The HEART NSTA/Trust is to launch a new school for coding in response to the growing demand for the skill set among information and communications technology (ICT) professionals.

The Amber HEART Academy will be launched on Thursday (January 14) in partnership with the Amber Group Limited and the Government of Jamaica.

Speaking in the House of Representatives on January 12, Prime Minister, the Most. Hon. Andrew Holness, said that the academy will significantly improve the employability of citizens, particularly the nation’s youth.

“Coding is the way of the future for the mass employment of young people. We recognise that HEART has to be far more responsive to the industry, and a part of that response is what we are going to be doing in coding to ensure that Jamaica can participate meaningfully in the fourth industrial revolution,”

Mr Holness said.

Meanwhile, the HEART NSTA/Trust is adjusting its operations to meet the needs of trainees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Holness said that the agency has been able to extend its resources, despite a dip in earnings caused by the global crisis.

“Although face-to-face training has been suspended as a result of the pandemic, the agency has pivoted with the integration of distance learning methodologies and the implementation of four distance learning centres in Kingston, Montego Bay, St Ann and May Pen, to alleviate the assessment challenges and ensure that the institution is adhering to the social distancing protocols,”

he said