Another milestone for SAJ - ATO status

On Tuesday, March 11, the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ) was officially certified as an Accredited Training Organisation (ATO) by the National Council on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NCTVET). In a ceremony on March 29, the certificate was received by Diana Reynolds, senior human resource development manager, and Luckresha Ramsamugh Baker, SAJ's training and development manager.

According to Reynolds, an ATO is an organisation which has implemented a competency-based training programme and adheres to standards and administrative systems approved by NCTVET. Such organisations must consistently meet the standards required by NCTVET.

She explained that the association's decision to pursue such accreditation came out of a wider vision of the leadership of the SAJ to increase the training and professionalism of its workforce with a view to improving their flexibility and their attractiveness to operators on the Port of Kingston.

raising the bar

Competency-based certification was intended to be one of the gateways to professionalism, raising the bar in terms of the service the SAJ's workers provide to the port of Kingston.

The SAJ began collaborating with Jamaica's vocational certifying body, NCTVET, to develop the competency-based standards for stevedoring as well as to produce the curriculum. The association administered a pilot programme in 2009 in which 17 workers completed the first Level-1 stevedoring-certification programme. The success of the pilot programme gave the SAJ the impetus to pursue the ATO status.

According to Reynolds, "It was difficult working through the development of all the different processes and systems that needed to be put in place for the ATO application. An application like ours was also unique to NCTVET. It took quite a while for some of the NCTVET personnel to grasp the nature of what we do and why."

Reynolds gave special credit to Osric Forrest, NCTVET standards and assessment officer, who led the development of the competency standards. She said he took the time to understand the SAJ organisation and committed himself to its completion. "We have openly discussed our journey with NCTVET and agreed that lessons have been learned all around," she said.

strategic goals

Through this initiative, the SAJ intends to provide the opportunity to have all its stevedores certified at the Level-1 stage with a view to improving the quality of its labour output. Among the strategic goals of the association is to ensure the staff is motivated, competent and confident in skill areas. Certification is critical in this process.

Reynolds said that as a service provider, the SAJ's ongoing relevance will depend on the quality of its workers and their ability to adapt to the changing needs of the shipping industry. "Having workers who know why they are here and what they can contribute is critical to our success."

According to the SAJ's general manager, Trevor Riley, competent and certified workers will be a powerful selling point for the Port of Kingston. "Knowing that our workers have been certified to internationally recognised standards means shipping lines can be assured of the high quality of persons involved in our local port operations, and be encouraged to increase the level of business at the port of Kingston."