More than 300 Young Jamaicans to Get Hands on Training to Strengthen Agriculture and Food Processing
Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has announced a bold investment initiative to bolster the agriculture sector. The move will also improve youth workforce development through an expanded apprenticeship programme. The Prime Minister’s initiative will see more than 300 young Jamaicans receiving hands-on training in critical sectors such as agriculture and food processing.
Speaking on Tuesday (May 13, 2025) at the Opening Session of the Caribbean Poultry Association 8th International Technical Symposium at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Prime Minister Holness emphasized the government’s commitment to both physical infrastructure and human capital.
The Prime Minister said: “The government’s investment in infrastructure is critical to the efficiency of the poultry industry and ultimately to the moderation, and possibly the reduction in the cost of poultry to the consumer, seeing that poultry is such a large part of the consumer basket. Now, we’re not only investing in the physical infrastructure, but during my budget presentation, I announced several measures to address workforce development, because more and more, agriculture is becoming a very technical engagement.”
The new apprenticeship programme will engage youth in structured training experiences with industry professionals and provide them with stipends and savings programmes. The initiative is designed not only to build technical expertise but also to prepare the next generation of skilled workers to meet the demands of modern agricultural practices.
“It’s not merely about taking up a machete and a hoe. More and more technology is being integrated into agriculture, and the worker is required to have greater knowledge of what they’re doing, and so we’re investing in an expanded apprenticeship programme that will place over 300 young people in hands-on training in critical sectors, including agriculture and food processing, and these persons will be paid a stipend, and they will have a structured saving program, and these apprentices will work directly with industry professionals, ensuring that the next generation of poultry and agribusiness workers are equipped with both knowledge and practical skills.”
This initiative also aligns with broader plans to establish a high-level apprenticeship institute in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), focusing on logistics, manufacturing, and agri-processing.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister is calling on industry stakeholders, particularly in the poultry sector, to partner with the HEART Trust/NSTA to integrate apprentices into their operations and support the nation’s productivity goals.