COUNCILLOR DES Wilson, the Jamaican born Lord Mayor of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, has returned to Jamaica for the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica Conference 2003.
The Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica Conference takes place at the Renaissance Jamaica Grande Resort Hotel in Ocho Rios from today, January 7 to tomorrow January 9, 2003.
Education Minister, Maxine Henry-Wilson and Senator Burchell Whiteman, Minister of Information, are among the featured speakers for the conference.
Councillor Wilson is the first Jamaican born Lord Mayor of Nottingham, a prestigious role that dates back to the 13th century. The Lord Mayor is the first citizen of Nottingham representing the city when royal visitors and other dignitaries visit as well as presiding over meetings of Nottingham City Council.
Councillor Wilson is part of a delegation from New College Nottingham and City College Birmingham to the conference which brings together Community Colleges from across Jamaica with overseas educationalists.
To recognise Councillor Wilson's achievement and dedication to the city, New College Nottingham will be announcing a new bursary at the conference named after the Lord Mayor. The bursary will be open to young Jamaicans who want to continue their studies in Nottingham.
Milton Crosdale, long-standing chief officer of Nottingham's Racial Equality Council and a governor of New College Nottingham, is also part of the delegation, and will also have a bursary named after him.
Councillor Wilson said:
"I am delightful to be back in Jamaica to represent the city of Nottingham and help strengthen links with the UK. I am very proud to be the city's first Jamaican born Lord Mayor and feel very honoured to have a bursary named after me.
"I strongly believe in making a good education available to all young people and am delighted to be able to promote the work of New College Nottingham who make a significant contribution to our city. Young people should be given every opportunity to learn and develop skills for their future.
"While I am in Jamaica I want to promote a variety of educational links and initiatives with Nottingham's universities and education authority to benefit Jamaican students."
Born in Hanover, Jamaica in 1939, Councillor Wilson left for England in 1957. He is a long standing member of the Labour Party and was elected Councillor for the St. Ann's ward of Nottingham in 1991.
Councillor Wilson is very active in supporting young people from ethnic minority communities in the city as Chief Executive of PATRA, a positive action training organisation which seeks to give young people an opportunity to learn in the workplace.
A city of 250,000 people, Nottingham is famous for its links with the legend of Robin Hood and Raleigh bicycles. Nottingham is also home to a sizeable African-Caribbean community of over 12,000 people.
New College Nottingham (NCN) is one of the largest colleges of further education in the UK with a wide range of full and part-time study programmes for students aged 16 plus. Last year over 57,000 people enrolled on courses with NCN.
