The Vocational Training Development Institute (VTDI), the tertiary arm of the HEART Trust/NTA, will commence offering a two-year Associate Degree in Animation programme, beginning in January 2017.

The institution previously offered only one semester of animation training under its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) degree programme.

Animation lecturer at the VTDI, Chevonnese Chevers Whyte, told JIS News that it is anticipated that students completing the programme will gain employment in established studios or start their own, “so that they can build animation and add to this awesome industry.”

She said the institution has been receiving applications for the new programme, which she pointed out is still accepting submissions.

Mrs. Chevers Whyte indicated that passes in Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)/Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Mathematics and English are entry requirements.

The programme’s introduction is another step towards expanding the animation industry in Jamaica and the Caribbean.

It follows the recent successful staging of the second KingstOOn festival, where the CXC animation module was also launched.

Mrs. Chevers Whyte, who participated in the recently concluded ‘Train the Trainers’ animation programme under the Youth Employment in the Digital and Animation Industry (YEDAI) project, said this engagement has assisted to further equip teachers to impart knowledge on the art form.

Source: Jamaica Information Service