City & Guilds, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, is expanding its Employability Skills programme to 50 Jamaican secondary schools. At least 5,000 students are expected to benefit from practical preparation for the workplace.

Beginning Monday, 26th October, the programme will help students from fifth form to upper sixth develop workplace skills alongside their academic studies. The Ministry selected four modules: Effective Communication, Working as Part of a Team, Self-Assessment and Development, and Dealing with Problems. Delivery in selected schools is expected to continue into the second semester of the 2026/27 academic year.

Students will undertake team projects, communication exercises, presentations, problem-solving tasks and goal-setting activities. They will complete a workbook assessed by their teachers, with successful participants receiving certification in employability skills.

The expansion includes the six schools that participated in a three-week pilot in 2025. Participating schools reported greater student confidence, group participation, communication and awareness of workplace expectations. Teachers also reported sustained enthusiasm and no dropouts during the pilot.

Mr Tyrone White, now Principal of Mavis Bank High School, took part in the pilot while serving as Vice Principal at Norman Manley High School. He reported improvements in students’ preparedness, confidence and workplace readiness. Following that experience, he has engaged teachers at Mavis Bank to offer the qualification to their students.

Major Paul Hall, Principal of Tarrant High School, said the programme’s units helped prepare students for work and life. At Spanish Town High School, 21 students were certified in the final semester of the 2025/26 academic year. Dr Tara Smith-Palmer, Vice Principal for Curriculum, described the programme as beneficial to students’ development.

“The feedback from schools shows why these skills matter,” said Marva Duncanson, City & Guilds Caribbean Representative. “Students need opportunities to practise communicating, working with others and responding to challenges before they leave school. Expanding the programme will give more young people access to that preparation, with benefits for their working lives and their participation in wider society.”

Approximately 65 teachers attended City & Guilds workshops on Wednesday, 30th September, and Thursday, 1st October, covering programme delivery, student assessment and ways to integrate employability skills into classroom activities. City & Guilds will provide teaching resources, assessment and verification guidance, and ongoing quality assurance support throughout delivery.