THE HEART Trust/NTA is now providing training and certification up to level three mastery for professionals who work with the disabled.HEART Trust and the National Council on Technical Vocational Education and Training (NCTVET) on Tuesday launched a number of competency standards in disability work in the areas of health, rehabilitation and education, at the Hilton Kingston Hotel.
The standards cover more than 110 competency standards that will allow certification of various categories of workers.
They also contain seven national qualifications as well as guidelines for assessing competencies in the sector.
Executive director of HEART Trust, Robert Gregory, who spoke at the launch, which marked Disability Awareness Week, said that there were now over 80,000 Jamaicans with internationally recognised qualifications in various occupations.
And, with an increasing number of Jamaicans becoming certified in the health, education and rehabilitation services industry, that figure will increase to some 600,000 Jamaicans, or approximately half of the nation's workforce, by Christmas 2007.
"We are all going to make it happen and we believe, fervently, that that will be an irresistible attraction for job-creating investments, whether they be foreign or local. Investments that seek persons with qualifications, with competence, people who can add value and, most importantly, bringing in these jobs that pay decent money," he said.
HUMAN CARE SERVICES
Mr. Gregory said that HEART was quietly promoting a niche in the human care services, and the training and certification of persons to work with people with disabilities was one other area within the broad frame of human care services, which could eventually net the country significant economic gains.
Leo Gordon, NCTVET's Standards and Assessment Development Officer, explained that the standards were industry-determined specifications of performance, which set out the skills, knowledge and attitudes required to operate effectively in employment. They were developed, he said, with help from key individuals in the sector who have the expertise and interest in particular disciplines.
Bertrand Bainvel, UNICEF representative, who spoke at the launch, congratulated HEART and the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities for developing the standards, which he described as "an important step in reducing discrimination and lack of access to specialised care."
He said that although medical breakthroughs over the years had reduced disabilities, discriminatory attitudes and practices against the disabled continued in the developing countries, particularly affecting children and adolescents.
"Children with disabilities are three to four times more likely than other children to suffer neglect and physical, sexual and emotional abuse. This is true whether they are living in an institution or in a family," he said.
Faith Innerarity, Senior Director of Social Security in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, agreed. She pointed out that there was constant need to address issues of discrimination. She said the early stimulation programme within the ministry was established to ensure that children who have disabilities were able to develop in all spheres of life.
RETROSPECTIVELY
"When we look retrospectively on the approach to disability issues from an international and national perspective, we have made considerable strides, moving from the initial welfare orientation to a rights-based approach and now to a developmental emphasis," she said.
UNICEF estimates that 70 per cent of children with disabilities, including mild mental retardation, can attend regular school, provided it is physically accessible. However, at present, only three per cent of children from developing countries attend.
Mr. Bainvel called for more private sector companies to join the ongoing governmental efforts to create a caring environment for children and persons with disabilities.
