The Department of Correctional Services is pleased to report the upcoming certification presentation for the first competence-based education trained and assessed cohort of the Carl Rattray Staff College.  One hundred and seventeen persons composing Intake 78 were trained as level 1 Officers for the Correctional Service in 2020 and will receive their NVQ-J certificates.

The Batch, who completed their prescribed programme of training under pandemic conditions ended the three-month-long curriculum with participants en masse attaining the standards required for NCTVET certification.  Director, Carl Rattray Staff College (CRSC) – Ms. Christall Byfield celebrated the achievement of the cohort saying, “We are very pleased to share the outcome of this challenging training period, as the arrival of COVID-19 could have stymied our efforts.  As we moved to retool the Departments’ custodial resource, this Civilian to CO1 passing out [graduation] is the zenith of two years of hard work laying the framework for competency-based education and training.”

The Carl Rattray Staff College was given the mandate in May 2018 to certify the correctional service by the Commissioner of Correctional Services.  Subsequently, in March 2020, the Staff College partnered with the Gomex Institute of Technology, local training institution that focuses on computer security training, computer forensics, network training and a host of other training programmes to offer training and assessment through its Accredited Training Organisation (ATO) status. Also in March 2020 the College was granted approval to train and assess officers pursuing level 2-5 standards in Correctional Services Administration and Management; as well as level 3-4 in Community Corrections and Probation Aftercare Services/Management. Persons trained at the Staff College will now graduate with National Vocational Qualification of Jamaica (NVQ-J) the national, regional and Commonwealth recognized professional certification.

The Staff College currently has a Writing Board underway to develop training programmes to equip CO1’s (Correctional Officers level 1) as Corporals; and the Level 3 Custodial Services Supervision for Corporals to become Staff Officers in the service.  To date, the College has established programmes for levels 2 through 5 of the corresponding ranks in the service and training for all cohorts will be rolled out on schedule across the 12 months of 2021.  These programmes will also serve as capacity building for officers in their current post.

The certified workforce accessing training from the Staff College aligns with the promotion policy of Department and will contribute greatly to the DCS becoming the Caribbean Centre of Excellence in Correctional Management.