The Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning’s Career Advancement Programme by the Ministry of Education is open for applications from qualified students.
The Career Advancement Programme (CAP) is an initiative of the Government of Jamaica through the Ministry of Education, Youth & Information to respond to the swelling number of learners who complete secondary level education without any formal certification and has not matriculated to post-secondary level education or work. This is focused on providing opportunities for all learners (ages 16-18) to identify, understand, choose, and prepare for careers and occupations of their choices.
This programme is being facilitated under the Compulsory Education Policy (CEP), which is to ensure that all children ages 3-18 are attached to, and attending structured learning/education and training programmes appropriate to their age and development.
The Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning (JFLL) as an agency of the Ministry of Education, Youth & Information with responsibility for providing quality, relevant and adult-centred learning opportunities to the adult learner population from the basic to the secondary level has integrated the CAP-General programme into the JFLL’s High School Diploma Equivalency (HSDE) programme at the Basic and Intermediate levels.
Career Advancement Programme Targets
The main area of concentration will be:
- The utilization of diagnostic tools and trained specialist to identify Literacy and Numeracy levels.
- The use of age/learner appropriate materials for remedial Literacy and Numeracy in line with individuals’ special needs such as learners with disabilities, or the delayed learner that engages and motivates the learner.
- Introductory skills training in at least one technical vocational area.
- Implementation of appropriate systems for evaluating and tracking learner progress based on internationally accepted best practices.
- Calibration and monitoring of standards involved with the teaching of remedial education.
The purpose of the Career Advancement Programme General programme is to ensure that learners are competent in literacy and numeracy, and are so enabled to successfully pursue career training in technical and vocational skills training delivered by the HEART Trust/NTA. This programme is intended to be a pre-vocational pathway to prosperity.
It positions both agencies in a collaborative effort to create a social safety net for those who might slip through the cracks and fail to take advantage of the opportunity to acquire the basic academic and vocational educational foundation to sustain themselves.
The Career Advancement Programme General Programme is a two (2) year programme. Training will start at the beginning of each academic school year. Each level of the programme will last for one year. A learner who starts at the basic level is expected to complete the programme in two years. However, there is flexibility that allows a learner to advance through the programme at a faster pace.
The Basic Level is a pre-requisite for the Intermediate Level. It is:
- Aligned to Grades 1 to 6 in the formal education sector
- Covered in 495 of HSDE Basic curricula (approximately 10hrs per week)
- Comprised of four core subjects:
| Subjects | Hours per week |
|---|---|
| Mathematics (Numeracy) | 3 |
| English Language (Literacy) | 3 |
| Life Coping Skills and Personal Development | 1 |
| Skills Training | 3 |
The Intermediate Level is:
- Aligned to Grades 7 to 9 of the formal system
- Delivered using a competency based curricula
- Covers 495 hrs of HSDE curricula (approximately 10hrs per week)
- Comprised of four core subjects:
| Subjects | Hours per week |
|---|---|
| Mathematics (Numeracy) | 3 |
| English Language (Literacy) | 3 |
| Life Coping Skills and Personal Development | 1 |
| Skills Training | 3 |
- Employ Competency Based Education and Training (CBET) methodolog
- Less of the traditional chalk and talk method of teaching and learning
- More participatory/interactive experience
- Individualised lessons for each learner
- Delivered through hands on, experiential learning activities
- A web-based learning platform (Autoskills) will also be utilized to reinforce the learning experience
- Only teachers who are specially trained/experienced in areas of literacy, numeracy, and other special needs areas will be utilised to facilitate training
- Class size will be standardized to 25 learners to a group
- Infusion of Life Skills lessons to keep learners focused and motivated
Related Career Advancement Programme Forms
