The Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning….Changing Lives Forever
Who are We?
The Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning (JFLL) began as JAMAL Foundation in 1973. As an agency of the Ministry of Education, the JFLL supports the UNESCO goal of basic Education for All (EfA) by 2015 and the national drive towards the achievement of universal secondary education (Grade 11).
We recognize the need to enhance the traditional methods of education, and so the JFLL locates itself in the hub of non-formal continuing education for Jamaicans 15 years and older. While the delivery of basic literacy and numeracy remains at the heart of our offerings, we have transformed into a lifelong learning organisation in keeping with changing global demands.
What is Lifelong Learning?
Lifelong Learning operates on the concept that ‘it’s never too soon or too late to acquire and use knowledge to improve the quality of ones life.
Simply put: lifelong learning is a process; it does not stop when one leaves the official school system it continues throughout life. One can therefore say that: education is life…it is continuous….as long as one has life one must continue to learn and be educated.
What Products do We offer to enhance your life?
The Foundation LENS[Lessons in Engish, Numeracy and Survival]
The programme takes the adult learner from basic literacy and numeracy up to the Grade 6 level. Based on a pre-training test, learners are placed at one of four (4) levels and guided to advancement at their natural pace.
Upon completion of all four levels of the Basic Literacy & Numeracy Programme the learner is awarded a Certificate of Achievement.
Levels |
Description |
Level 1 |
Non-literate |
Level 2 |
Basic One – can identify simple words |
Level 3 |
Basic Two – can read but poor comprehension skills |
Level 4 |
Functionally literate - can understand and solve problems |
The BRIDGE to SKILLS: We also bridge the gaps to Grade 9 level to facilitate the transition to Technical and Vocational Training at HEART-NTA. [Ask about our Pre-Vocational Programme]
Auto Skills®
This is a computer-aided reading and mathematics programme that takes the learner from the most basic level to Grade 12. It is designed to assist learners who face particular or persistent challenges by developing their intellectual skills. Auto Skills® is delivered in three hour sessions, allowing the learner to interact with a computer by receiving instructions via headphone. The JFLL provides a live facilitator to render any assistance that the learner might need
CASE [Computer Application Software for Empowerment]
Three-hourly shifts training in the use of the computer– Basic, Intermediary and Advanced. Classes are held in comfortable Computer Labs at selected locations aross the island.
WELLS: [Workplace Education in Literacies and Life Skills]
Catering to the needs of industry and service-driven enterprises, WELLS is tailored to support the quest for higher levels of productivity, by reducing the risks of downtime and damage to capital equipment through ignorance. We customize the programme to meet the needs of your work force. A simple 30-minute Diagnostic Test determines the starting point, and you decide where we take it, together.
HISEP:[The High School Equivalency Programme]
HISEP is geared towards providing Jamaicans who did not complete high school with the necessary tools to help recover those lost years. It is fully supported by the Ministry of Education and is available to persons eighteen and over learners are exposed to world class training and mentorship in five subjects:
- Language & Communication
- Literature, Culture and the Arts
- Mathematics
- Science & Technology
- Society & Citizenship
The curriculum and testing mechanisms were developed by NCT/VET while the programme is delivered through the JFLL’s network of HISEP learning centres across Jamaica.
How long does it take? We recommended a completion time of three years.
HISEP learners require a minimum of thirty (30) contact hours of facilitation per subject and where there are re-sits the applicable cost will be incurred.
What Certification? Learners are given Statements of Competence upon successful completion of each subject/module and a High School Diploma upon successful completion of programme.
What is the HISEP diploma worth? The HISEP diploma is equivalent to 5 CSEC subjects, providing a pathway to tertiary level education. It is accepted throughout the National Education system, and winning the acceptance of a growing number of private tertiary institutions.
Leveraging the Power of Partnerships
There is much work to do if Jamaica is to achieve the targeted educational goals – work which cannot be undertaken by a single agency. Our partners fall into several categories, including:
- Economic Sectors (Agriculture, Mining, Tourism etc)
- Economic Partners (Employers, Chambers of Commerce)
- Social Sectors (Health, Education, Youth, Vulnerable Groups)
- Social Partners (Churches, Community Development Committees)
Diffusing a Time Bomb – Uplifting the Unattached Youth
According to the National Labour Force Survey (STATIN 2008), approximately 127,000 Jamaican youngsters ages 14-24 are not in school and are either unemployed, or outside of the labour force. (Roughly 50,000 are unemployed, and just under 80,000 are outside the labour force.)
Considering the school leavers who are likely to be unemployed based on average youth unemployment rates among 16 and 17 year olds we have a population of about 127,000 “unattached” youth (37% males, 63% females).
Through targeted interventions in continuing education, the JFLL is determined to engage as much of this valuable human resource as possible, helping to move them from a state of limbo to productive and fulfilled lives, and as active partners in national development.
