Hundreds more hires to come as Heart/NSTA launches training programme
KINGSTON, JAMAICA — Some 40 Jamaicans have been hired as coders this month thanks to a training programme aimed to bridge a skills gap in the nation.
The Amber Group recently hired some 40 Jamaican coders.
This second cohort of graduates was rewarded with job placement almost instantly, and the hundreds more graduates in the cohort behind them are likewise expected to soon become employed in the lucrative IT field.
The programme aligns with the government of Jamaica’s goal to transform the country into a global tech hub, diversifying beyond tourism.
Jamaica is just one of several Caribbean nations that have committed to such undertakings since the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the tourism industry.
Its venture into coding, specifically, comes as no surprise as Guyana just recently also launched a similar programme in partnership with the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
According to a statement from the Jamaican government, which lauded the graduation of the first cohort and announced the successful job placements, the new employees have been hired by Amber Group Limited.
“Coding professionals are in high demand,” officials noted.
“Positions such as security consultants, data protection officers and cloud security architects are available in almost every industry.
“They also work independently and offer their services via digital platforms like Upwork and Etsy.”
More coding jobs in Jamaica on the horizon
While this second cohort comprised some 40 individuals, the HEART/NSTA wants to multiply that number by nearly eightfold, if not more.
It is currently accepting applications for those who want to train to become a part of this globally successful field, noting that financial assistance options are available.
Hundreds more coding jobs are expected to become available in Jamaica within the next year.
“A total of 300 young people are being targeted for training in coding under the Technology Advancement Programme (TAP) III,” the government advised.
Further, it emphasized, “Participants will benefit from immediate and guaranteed employment as a result of the partnership.”
In fact, some of those same trainees, if successful, could soon find themselves also employed at Amber Group Limited as the company’s CEO, Dushyant Savadia, expressed optimism about the potential of thousands of skilled Jamaican workers to enter the workforce.
According to Savadia, “If we can all partner together — both private and public entities, if we all put our resources together…we will have more than 4,000 youth next year training for coding and coming into the fastest emerging job market in the whole world.”
Find the latest jobs in the Caribbean via Caribbean Employment Services Inc.