Sajoune Rose, Gleaner Writer

"There is hope for Spanish Town," said Vixton Leslie, president of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), as he signed the agreement for the construction of a YMCA skills training centre on Monk Street in the Old Capital at the office of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) on Thursday.

The construction of the centre, which will cost approximately $20 million, is said to be long in coming. It is being heralded as a milestone that will be a major boost for more young people to obtain needed skills that can help to open doors to improve their lives and that of the wider Spanish Town community.

"We are tremendously happy and tremendously moved that we are in the position that we will be able to make a significant contribution to the youth in Spanish Town," said Dave Levy, president of the Rotary Club of Spanish Town, the sponsor of the project, which has contributed almost 67 per cent of the total cost.

Important initiative

Sharon Hay-Webster, Member of Parliament for St. Catherine South Central, said the initiative is an important one and a sign of more investment coming to Spanish Town.

The centre will not only serve to teach skills but will also be a cultural hub where the youth will be able to partake in dance, music and drama.

The entire community of Spanish Town and its environs stand to benefit. The project seeks to improve what is now the skeleton of the YMCA building in Spanish Town which now serves approximately 100 students who benefit from remedial and skills training classes.

Mr. Leslie said that this centre will position these youths to compete effectively in the age of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME). "Trainees will be certified so that they can enter the job market with confidence," he said.