Three years ago, while working at a supermarket in Black River, St Elizabeth, Javier Farquharson received a flyer about the robotics programme at the HEART/NSTA Trust Derrick Rochester Southwest Campus in Junction. Intrigued, he decided to find out more.The 22-year-old from Rowes Corner in Manchester said he has always been interested in robotics and took advantage of the opportunity to study the subject free of cost. He now feels gratified that his decision has paid off.Since enrolling in the programme, Farquharson has competed in the WorldSkills Autonomous Mobile Robotics Competition in France in 2024 and is currently one of four HEART/NSTA Trust students on a three-month scholarship in China.The China Craftsman Valley 100 Scholarship Program is administered by the UNESCO Global Skills Academy in partnership with China POCY Group and is designed to empower 100 outstanding youths from developing countries.The Jamaican students arrived in China last week.Farquharson said he learnt about the programme through his coordinator and is delighted to have received what he described as a “very good opportunity”.“I was quite excited to be a part of the programme. It was a great opportunity too, because the industrial robotics programme that I am doing here in China is like the other half of the mobile robotics programme that I am doing under the robotics branch,” he said.He is studying at Caofeidian College of Technology and said he hopes to become a trainer at the HEART/NSTA Trust upon completion.“It’s a new and emerging area. Since HEART is offering it for free, I want to be someone who can give youngsters, persons just exiting high school, the opportunity to learn this and make the most of this skill,” he said.Fellow scholarship recipient Shamar Brown, who is studying Hotel Management at Tangshan Maritime Institute in Caofeidian, Tangshan City, told The Gleaner that he is also looking forward to returning home and sharing the global expertise he will acquire during his three-month stay.“I wish to go back, to be a part of a team where I can now teach or mentor persons of what to expect internationally and help them to create stuff where it matters,” he said.SHARPENING SKILLSThe 19-year-old entrepreneur said he initially enrolled at the HEART College of Hospitality Services in Runaway Bay, St Ann, as a way of sharpening his skills.While attending Garvey Maceo High School in Clarendon, Brown said he started an ice cream business and was encouraged to pursue formal training to further develop his abilities.He initially enrolled to become a commis chef (entry-level junior chef) before switching to hospitality and management, which focuses on all four skill areas – commis chef, food and beverage, front office and housekeeping.Lauding the opportunities he has received since becoming a HEART student, Brown believes this latest experience is integral to his development.“I really look forward to learning about the Chinese innovative approach to hospitality management, teamwork, leadership and problem solving. For me, these skills will strengthen my ability to deliver exceptional guest service experiences and, you know, prepare me for the future leadership role,” he said.Programme coordinator Janet Dyer said the scholarship will provide the students with a priceless experience in China.“HEART, being the national training agency with our focus on technical vocational education and training, sees this kind of opportunity for our young people as being very pivotal at this time when we are transitioning to the technological component of not the emerging skills, but the traditional skills that we have within the TVET system,” she said.She noted that the scholarship covers tuition, accommodation, site visits and meals, while HEART covers the students’ insurance as well as a monthly stipend of $65,000.The two other students in the programme – Janel Foster and Chrision McPherson – are studying Nursing and Hotel Management, respectively.Meanwhile, Dr Taneisha Ingleton, managing director of HEART, said the scholarship demonstrates that the quality of training delivered by the institution meets global standards.She noted that each student will gain international exposure in their chosen field, deepening technical competence beyond what local training alone can provide.“Collectively they return with upgraded skills, international networks, and the confidence of having been selected competitively. That benefits not only the individuals but the employers and sectors they re-enter,” she said.sashana.small@gleanerjm.com