Prime Minister Holness says Jamaica is Producing a Cadre of Software Developers Through the AMBER HEART Academy

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says there are tremendous opportunities in the technology sector and the Government, in partnership with the private sector, has made significant progress in pursuing these opportunities.

Speaking last evening (Wednesday, June 1, 2022) at the Unveiling of AMBER HEART Institute of Coding and Graduation Ceremony, the Prime Minister said through the public-private partnership between the AMBER Group and the HEART NSTA, the country will have its first cohort of software developers. 

The Prime Minister said; 
“We are ensuring that we don’t lose out on the fourth industrial revolution and that we have human resources that can be at the cutting edge of it. We are intent on not just consuming technology, but also creating and developing technology.”  

The AMBER HEART Academy pilot project was launched over a year ago and 27 students from various inner-city communities were the first to be a part of the project. Prime Minister Holness stated that “these youngsters represent an important part of the human capital of Jamaica” and their skills are necessary to meet the demands of the fourth industrial revolution. 

CEO of the AMBER Group, Dushyant Savadia, said with the largest developers of software being India, China and the Philippines, “Jamaica must not be left behind”. He also said that he is proud that the government has taken a huge interest in ensuring the country births a cohort of software developers. 

The Prime Minister lauded the public-private partnership between the government and the AMBER Group as major signal that “things can get done quickly efficiently and meaningfully” in the country.