TPDConnect December 2018 | Page 8

PSRA HANDING OVER CEREMONY TREASURE BEACH POSTIVELY IMPACTED BY THE SEISMIC SHIFT IN TOURISM The parish of St Elizabeth celebrates another milestone as the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) commemorates Twenty-Five (25) representatives from Fourteen (14) entities and one individual party, who have completed the Private Security Regulation Authority (PSRA) training programme within the community of Treasure Beach. Executive Director of TPDCo, Dr. Andrew Spencer in his Keynote Address at the graduation ceremony highlighted that “there’s a seismic shift happening in Jamaica, as the things that are now happening are things that have never happened before. This is the thrust of an organization that understands what a developed nation ought to look like”. He continued by saying the Honourable Edmund things. It’s a time when beneath our feet and we “our visionary Minister Bartlett is doing new the ground is shifting have to be prepared.” The PSRA Training programme is an amalgamated initiative with TPDCo and Honourable Floyd Green, Minister of State, in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, as a by-product of the Spruce-Up Jamaica campaign budget, in light of the desire for inflation in the compliancy rate. This initiative falls under the hand holding services exercised by TPDCo in an effort to ensure that all tourism entities within the sector are compliant with the various laws and regulations that are complementary to the Tourist Board Act. PSRA approved trainer Mr. Anthony Rodney, at the Bred’s Sports Complex, taught the programme. Dr. Andrew Spencer also iterated in his keynote address that the agency “is pleased with the outcomes that two (2) licensed entities that participated will become compliant after obtaining certification. Four (4) of the Twelve (12) unlicensed entities are in the process of obtaining the outstanding documents to apply for a JTB license and Eight (8) remaining entities will be facilitated by TPDCo until they are JTB licensed. We pledge to continue to work with you so that no entity is left behind”. Honourable Floyd Green, following Dr. Spencer’s address in his remarks highlighted that this initiative is important because “the best way to build any tourism product that we have is to build our human resource.” He continued to enforce the agency’s goal of compliance by saying that “we have to do all we can to ensure that all our entities are licensed and have certified employees in their establishment.” Dr. Spencer closed his address by highlighting that “this collaboration is evidence that the only way forward within our industry is together. We are fostering an industry that strives for boundless inclusivity across the island with all individuals who contribute, even in the minutest manner, to the tourism product, and by extension Brand Jamaica.” TPDCo, will maintain the relationship with the Honourable Minister Floyd Green, to continue to further develop the mecca of community based tourism initiatives in Treasure Beach.