During the months of March and April, we successfully kick-started NCB Icon Lab’s virtual “Train-the-trainers” (TTT), with kind support from NCB Foundation. The sessions will build the capacities of two of our local partners in Jamaica: The Mico University and the Institute of Law & Economics (ILE). To promote social distancing, we adapted the in-person training to be provided via Facebook Live and video conferencing platforms. These interactive formats have proven extremely successful and engaging as participants interact with the speakers in real-time, share their thoughts or questions, and test their learnings through interactive games.
Mico and ILE’s faculty began their training by familiarizing themselves with The Trust’s innovation labs in Mexico, Colombia, and Jamaica. Maria Liliana Mor, Director of Programs at The Trust, shared the labs’ success stories and best practices.
Committed to assessing digital, life, and entrepreneurial skills, professors from Mico and ILE learned how to use Helelab’s Future Skills Tool. This tool will enable the evaluation of participants“ ”digital genomes” and digital competencies, in line with the European Commission’s Digital Competences Framework. In addition, professors also learned how to enter data into the TIS (Trust’s Information System).
Let’s talk about the future of work skills
With international companies increasingly looking to Jamaica as a destination for outsourcing animation production, according to the World Bank, we would tap into the creative talent of Jamaican youth by providing Augmented Reality (AR) training. The AR sessions, facilitated by Natalia Noreña from IoTIC, will familiarize participants with advanced aspects of AR. IoTIC is a company founded by Carlos Noreña, one of the first beneficiaries of Trust’s DIA Lab in Colombia, who is now a business owner and a partner of Trust!
Learning AR is the first step for youth to engage with the 4th industrial revolution technologies. A first practical application will be to challenge participants to use AR to present their business models and their pitch.“Through this technology, the possibilities are endless!” a Mico professor shared.
Ready, Set, Go Pitch!
To continue fostering innovation in Jamaica, The Trust’s partner, ILE, is providing training in innovation methodology based on The Trust’s ICI component: Inspire, Create, and Innovate.
Shanae and Dwayne, ILE’s experienced facilitators, are presenting a series of tools and best practices to support the creation and strengthening of entrepreneurship. They will present best practices on how to operate an Innovation Lab, how to organize a Pitch Tank and Ideathon, how to develop a Business Model using Canvas, tips to engage youth, among others.
These successful and engaging TTT sessions demonstrate how The Trust for the Americas, with support from the NCB Foundation, is committed to strengthening its partners’ capabilities, encouraging innovation, and fostering digital inclusion and economic opportunities in the Caribbean.