HEART/NSTA, GSAJ to double BPO training in Jamaica
SAINT ANDREW, JAMAICA — The Human Employment and Resource Training/National Service Training Agency (HEART/NSTA) Trust recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Global Services Association of Jamaica (GSAJ) in a bid to address the talent gap in Jamaica’s business process outsourcing (BPO) sector.
The collaboration aims to double the number of trained and certified call center workers across the island.
Addressing the talent shortage
The BPO sector in Jamaica has seen rapid growth for the past 15 years. Employers often hire individuals aged 18 and older without formal training or certification.
The selection process typically involved a national identification card and a voice recognition and conversation test, bypassing the need for school-leaving certificates or regional examination passes. This has led to a high rejection rate, with only one in 25 interviewees being deemed suitable for employment.
The partnership between HEART/NSTA Trust and GSAJ is expected to enhance the quality and quantity of certified BPO workers significantly.
Commitment to quality and growth
HEART/NSTA Trust Managing Director Taneisha Ingleton emphasized the importance of this partnership in her remarks at the MoU signing.
“We welcome the signing of this MoU. We’re basically restarting a longstanding relationship that we would have had with the GSAJ … and we can assure you that the successes you had in the past five years, we’re going to be doubling those for the years to come. We are going to work with you to prevent any further fallout where the industry is concerned,” Ingleton stated.
Ingleton also highlighted the critical role of HEART/NSTA Trust in expanding the talent pool. “We have a critical role to play in broadening the talent pool and, yes, we would have had the data indicating that we are at an all-time low in terms of our unemployment, but certainly, we have a large grouping out there that we really need to tap into that pool to see how best we can utilise the skills and competencies of those individuals who are very well able to work,” she added.
Enhanced training programs
The MoU outlines a plan for HEART/NSTA Trust to offer enhanced job readiness courses over six weeks, using a blended approach of face-to-face and online training from various locations islandwide.
This initiative aims to elevate the perception of BPO jobs and encourage career progression within the sector.
GSAJ President Anand Biradar expressed optimism about the partnership’s potential to sustain and grow the BPO industry.
“We need to widen the talent pool and support industry and, if we don’t, it will undo all the work done in the last 10 years. And it can very well happen, so I implore everybody to commit to this industry and work towards broadening the talent pool, so that we can embark on the growth. Getting the MoU signed today is a great step in that direction,” Biradar said.
“I’m very excited to see the outcomes of this partnership and the programme [going] forward.”
This collaboration between HEART/NSTA Trust and GSAJ marks a pivotal step towards strengthening Jamaica’s BPO sector, ensuring a steady supply of skilled and certified workers to meet the industry’s growing demands.
