The Global Services Sector (GSS) is employing thousands of young Jamaicans and providing training programmes for existing and potential employees, some of whom are still in high school. These training programmes offered by the GSS Project are grooming and preparing students for entry-level jobs and upskilling current employees for senior roles in the sector.
The GSS Project is being spearheaded by JAMPRO, an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, with strong partnership from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, HEART NSTA/Trust, Global Services Association of Jamaica (GSAJ) and the Global Services Skills Council.
Secondary students and graduates between 16 and 20 years old may enrol in the GSS High School Immersion Bootcamp if they want to work in the sector. This online training programme, which started in late July and will end in November 2022, gives an intensive introduction to the GSS, with a focus on the digital and soft skills needed to begin work in the industry. Interested individuals can sign up online through the One-on-One Educational Services website. So far, the programme has enrolled over 4,000 participants. Bootcamp participants who are seeking employment in the higher value skills segments of the sector may also access one of the four specialised tracks – The Fundamentals of Business, Financial Accounting, Information Technology or Industrial Technology.
Although the GSS Project is training prospective employees, there is a component of the project for the development of the current workforce called the GSS Apprenticeship PEAK (Perform to Enhance and Accelerate your Knowledge) Programme. Launched in 2020, the GSS Apprenticeship PEAK is a 12-month programme, which features a rigorous curriculum to upskill apprentices to mid-management and leadership roles. It has grown from a cohort of 143 to an enrolment of approximately 3,000 persons to date.