Amber HEART Academy Graduates Land Software Jobs at NCB

Kingston, Jamaica – June 7, 2022:?“A career in software development has always been a lifelong dream for me,” said 27-year-old Matthew Layne, one of eight graduates from?the Amber HEART Academy, who?landed a job at the National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited (NCB).?

“However, traditional University is expensive, and I could not afford to take on that expense by myself. So I’m really grateful for this programme, as I finally get to pursue the career of my dreams.”

Presenting the eight outstanding students with their official job letters at the ceremony, CEO of the N.C.B. Foundation, Nadeen Matthews Blair, lauded the graduates for their decision to join the emerging digital workforce in Jamaica.??

“We are proud to give support to this programme, which is very much in-line with our aspiration of expanding Jamaica’s talent pool of digital professionals including coders and software developers. These talents are critical to our nation’s digital transformation,” said Matthews Blair. “Coding is a great avenue for us to demonstrate our digital creativity, and in the process, create jobs and transform lives.”??

This opportunity for the students comes through a partnership between the N.C.B. Foundation, Amber Group, and the Human Employment and Resource Training Trust/National Training Agency (HEART/NSTA Trust), geared towards making Jamaica the technological hub of the region.?N.C.B. Foundation was among the first contributors to the initiative in 2021, injecting J$15M into the programme to facilitate the training of students in coding and software development.??

The ceremony, keynoted by the Prime Minister Andrew Holness, capped off a one-year residential programme, where students are fully sponsored and given accommodation, meals, equipment and training. Upon graduating, the students received a Government-recognised National Council on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NCTVET) certification.??

Amber HEART Academy 2021 graduate Camille Newman (center) stands proudly beside Prime Minister of Jamaica Hon. Andrew Holness (left) as she collects her job letter from CEO of the N.C.B. Foundation, Nadeen Matthews Blair.??

The Group also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with HEART/NSTA Trust to launch Amber HEART Institute of Coding, the first-ever campus dedicated to digital careers, which will take on 500 students by September 2022.???

With its renewed focus on accelerating the digital transformation of Jamaica, N.C.B. Foundation recently opened its 2022 Scholarships and Grants programme, which supports aspiring digital producers, and scholars pursuing tertiary-level studies in areas such as?computer science, data and actuarial science, animation and more.??

“At N.C.B. Foundation, we are passionate about ensuring that our youth are prepared to participate in the future of work, and are in a position to become the global tech entrepreneurs of the future,” said Matthews Blair.??

After six months of intense training NCB has successfully recruited eight Amber HEART Academy graduates to join its?Enterprise Information Management Unit.?CEO of the N.C.B. Foundation, Nadeen Matthews Blair (third left), Chairman of the?NCB Foundation, Thalia Lyn and (center) and Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon.?Fayval Williams revel in the graduates’?success as they move towards a brighter digital future for Jamaica.?

Students are invited to visit the N.C.B. Foundation’s website at?www.ncbscholarships.com?for more information on the scholarships and grants available, as well as to apply. Applications will be open until June 17, 2022.??