5,000 students to benefit as City & Guilds expands employability programme

More than 5,000 secondary-school students are set to benefit from an expansion of the City & Guilds Employability Skills programme, which will be rolled out to 50 schools across the island later this month.

The initiative, being implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, is aimed at equipping students with practical workplace skills alongside their academic studies.

Beginning on October 26, the programme will be offered to students from fifth form to upper sixth. The ministry has selected four modules for delivery: effective communication, working as part of a team, self-assessment and development, and dealing with problems. The programme is expected to continue in participating schools during the second term of the 2026/27 academic year.

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

The expansion follows a three-week pilot conducted in six schools in 2025. According to programme organisers, participating schools reported improvements in students’ confidence, communication skills, group participation and understanding of workplace expectations. Teachers also reported sustained student engagement and no dropouts during the pilot.

Tyrone White, now principal of Mavis Bank High School, participated in the pilot while serving as vice-principal at Norman Manley High School. He reported improvements in students’ confidence, preparedness and readiness for the workplace. Following that experience, he has enlisted teachers at Mavis Bank High to offer the qualification to their students.

Other schools have also reported positive outcomes. 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 received certification during the final semester of the 2025/26 academic year. Dr Tara Smith-Palmer, vice-principal for curriculum, described the programme as beneficial to students’ overall 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.”

To support the expansion, approximately 65 teachers attended City & Guilds workshops on September 30 and October 1 covering programme delivery, student assessment and ways to integrate employability skills into classroom activities.

City & Guilds said it will provide teaching resources, assessment and verification guidance, as well as ongoing quality-assurance support throughout the programme’s delivery.