Flagstaff residents embark on training
MONTEGO BAY, St James
With a major community -led tourism project being planned for Flagstaff and adjoining communities in St James, several residents have embarked on training programmes, in a bid to meet the anticipated demand for authentic craft items and local foods.
Over the past several months, scores of residents have benefited from certified training in business development, tourism/hospitality sector training and commercial food preparation.
Just last week, 26 area residents completed a five- week training course which enabled them to become certified ‘competent’ level 1 chefs and cooks by the HEART Trust/ NTA.
The course was conducted by representatives from the HEART Trust/ NTA enterprise- based training division, and was made possible through the United States Agency for International Development, under its Protected Areas and Rural Enterprise (USAID/PARE) Project, in conjunction with the Forestry Department and The Nature Conservancy.
In addition to successful participants receiving certificate of competence for the commercial food preparation courses, participants are now empowered to provide food services to the community’s Heritage tours and trail tourism venture.
The Heritage Trail is a community-based project, which emanated from three trails in the Flagstaff area and will focus on heritage, bio-diversity and the importance of the Cockpit Country.
There are also plans to conduct training in customer service and Information Technology in the Flagstaff community, as well as to develop a visitor centre. Stakeholders are hoping to have this centre ready by year-end.
It is hoped that two or three restaurants will be included as part of the trail.