Jamaica College expanding career choices with new MOU

THE MEMORANDUM of Understanding (MOU) that has been signed between Jamaica College (JC) and the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) will enable students at JC to pursue a range of maritime career choices.

Executive director of the CMI, Fritz Pinnock, who signed the MOU along with JC principal, Ruel Reid, told The Gleaner that he would like to see more young Jamaicans take up the offer of a high-paying careers in an ever-expanding industry, but discipline was key.

"It's about expanding the value chain in the education system. It's about linking secondary education with tertiary education and tertiary with employment and that is our focus, because both Mr Reid and I have that vision. You need to integrate skills with academics, so it's about creating new employment areas because we all can't be doctors and lawyers and these career choices are really oversubscribed," he said.

At the same time, Reid said, "What we'd love to see is at least a potential 20,000 Jamaican graduates per year, going forward in the medium term, could be trained and transition into maritime.

"That would help in the develop-ment of our shipping and logistics in Jamaica as a major transmission port by virtue of the opportunities coming out of the expansion of the Panama Canal. This should be seen by any government as a very strategic industry to help restructure the Jamaican economy."