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This article is part of a series about Mercy Fund for Ministry grant recipients and how their funded work lives out Mercy’s Critical Concerns and the Works of Mercy.
John Bosco Vocational Training Centre, in Manchester, Jamaica, serves 126 at-risk, rural youth, many of whom have absentee parents and face poverty, community violence and limited economic opportunities. The center provides students, ages 16-25, with vocational training in trades such as commercial food preparation, butchering, barbering and crop production.
Established in 1960 as St. John Bosco Boys’ Home by the Sisters of Mercy in Jamaica, it transitioned in 2017 from a residential home to a day program that addresses the evolving and growing needs of today’s rural youth.
Many Jamaican youth are unemployed or not enrolled in any formal education or professional training. Most have not finished secondary school. This is due in part to financial barriers, including the unaffordable cost of school. To address these challenges, St. John Bosco’s social-welfare program offers scholarships and financial support for transportation and meals.
The program has improved student attendance, retention and academic performance, which increases the likelihood that the students will complete their training. For example, five students who travel more than 15 miles to attend school now have transportation stipends, enabling them to attend all their weekly training days. One 17-year-old student, who struggles to provide for her sick mother and two younger siblings, has benefited greatly from the social-welfare program. Another student, who supports her three sons, all who suffer from mental illness, has expressed deep appreciation for the bus fare she receives three days a week. These students are now more actively engaged in their training and extracurricular activities, thus enhancing their overall learning experience.
According to Dean of Students Karen Gottshalk-Fenton, the aid “has had a profound positive impact on both the students and the institution.”
For the remainder of the school year, St. John Bosco plans to offer its students additional support by engaging them in a career expo where they will network with trade professionals and discover job and internship opportunities. These efforts underline St. John Bosco’s commitment to provide accessible, high-quality education and foster bright futures for Jamaica’s rural youth.
To learn more about St. John Bosco Vocational Training Centre, click here (English only).