On April 29, at the HEART Eastern TVET Institute’s Stony Hill Campus in St Andrew, Jamaica, a landmark graduation ceremony marked a major milestone for the country’s digital workforce development push: 120 trainees from the fifth cohort of the Amber HEART Academy walked away with industry-aligned digital certifications built to launch their careers in the global technology sector.
The programme, delivered through a collaborative public-private partnership between Jamaican investment firm Amber Group and national training body HEART/NSTA Trust, specialized in building core competencies in Web and Mobile Application Development, a skill set in high demand across the global digital economy. Notably, 90 of the 120 graduates are active members of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), reflecting the military’s growing commitment to upgrading its technological operational capacity for the digital age.
Addressing the graduating class at the ceremony, Jamaica’s Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon, extended commendations to the new graduates, framing their achievement as a clear signal that Jamaica is prepared to compete and thrive in the coming digital future. “You are not waiting on the world to change… you are going to use what you have learnt to change the world,” she told attendees, noting that the certification equips graduates to fully participate in the digital economy. Beyond earning credentials, Minister Morris Dixon emphasized that the programme was designed to position Jamaican workers to compete on a global stage while empowering them to solve pressing local challenges. She reiterated the Jamaican government’s deliberate strategy of investing in youth as the core engine of national development, reminding graduates that the opportunity was made possible by public investment, and urging them to create economic value and lift their local communities through their new skills.
Minister Morris Dixon also used the event to highlight ongoing organizational reforms at HEART/NSTA Trust, pointing to the rollout of a modernized training framework called Apprenticeship 3.0. This new hybrid model shifts traditional training structures to prioritize deeper private sector engagement and hands-on practical experience, aligning training outcomes more closely with the actual needs of hiring employers across sectors.
For his part, Amber Group Founder and Chief Executive Ambassador Dushyant Savadia shared the transformational vision that launched the academy, noting the initiative’s rapid growth and impact has been made possible by the strong public-private partnership model. Savadia added that the programme is already evolving to keep pace with shifting global technology trends, with plans to integrate specialized artificial intelligence (AI) training into future curricula. He encouraged graduates to build on their foundational coding skills by pursuing the new AI-focused training opportunities to remain competitive in a fast-changing industry.
Dr Taneisha Ingleton, Managing Director of the HEART/NSTA Trust, echoed the importance of the programme for national progress, noting that the fifth cohort’s success reflects both the personal discipline of the graduates and intentional strategic workforce planning aligned with Jamaica’s digital transition. Citing global projections that millions of new jobs will emerge in AI and emerging digital technologies over the coming decade, she emphasized that the academy is directly preparing Jamaican workers to fill these roles. Ingleton also highlighted the programme’s consistent growth, from just 27 graduates in the inaugural cohort to 120 in the fifth class, as proof that sustained cross-sector partnerships aligned with national development priorities deliver measurable results.
JDF Brigade Commander Brigadier Mahatma Williams framed the graduation as a critical milestone for the armed forces, noting that upskilling service members in digital skills is key to strengthening JDF operational readiness in an increasingly digital threat landscape. He called the event a transition “from learning to application and from preparation to purpose”, committing the JDF to continued participation and support for the programme. Williams also praised the discipline and dedication of JDF trainees who participated in the programme, noting that the initiative is helping reshape public perceptions of military personnel as skilled technology professionals.
As Jamaica accelerates its push to transition to a digital, innovation-led national economy, the fifth cohort graduation of the Amber HEART Academy demonstrates how intentional public-private collaboration can close the digital skills gap, create accessible employment pathways for young people, and position the country to compete in the global technology sector.