UTech partners with gov’t for 1000 STEM scholarships

The University of Technology, Jamaica has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Jamaica through the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service and the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB) for the implementation of 1,000 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) scholarships valued at $2.4billion. The scholarships will provide support to new undergraduate students of the University’s Faculty of Engineering and Computing over the next five years who are in financial need and who meet the matriculation requirements.

Speaking at the launch and signing ceremony at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel on Thursday, July 6, Minister of Finance and the Public Service Dr. Nigel Clarke said the support being provided to UTech, through the government’s STEM scholarship programme must be viewed within the context of Jamaica being a “small, open economy that has an inextricable, independent link with the outside world”, adding that “because we are an open economy, we have to always be concerned with our ability to trade with the outside world and to earn foreign exchange”.

Pointing out that in Jamaica’s relatively small economic base, only five industries routinely earn over $200M per year in foreign exchange – tourism, business process outsourcing, mining and quarrying, food and beverages and refined petroleum - the minister underscored the need for more diversified industries that can generate more foreign exchange.

In this context, Dr. Clarke asserted that Jamaica has educational institutions like UTech, Jamaica with the capacity to produce sufficient numbers of persons for the tremendous opportunity provided by the knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) sector which can potentially earn Jamaica billions in foreign exchange. The minister explained that this significant KPO opportunity exists in the information technology business enabled services that deliver services such as data analytics through machine learning, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data security and other related emerging fields.

“These can be delivered remotely,” Dr. Clarke noted, adding that “all that we need are sufficient numbers of Jamaicans on island who have the skills on which these services are built.” Dr. Clarke emphasised that “the government is serious about taking advantage of this opportunity that Jamaica has, and it is for this reason why we are making a concerted effort to support the production of qualified, trained and skilled graduates in STEM areas generally and in particular, in the emerging subsectors of computer science”.

Commenting on the “Business Case Proposal for STEM Computer Science Scholarships” submitted earlier this year to the Ministry by UTech, Jamaica, Dr. Clarke noted that “we received a great proposal from UTech and we are acting on it”.

WIN-WIN MODEL

In his address, Professor Haldane Johnson, acting deputy president, UTech, Jamaica, characterised the collaboration between the university and the two government entities as a “win-win model for Jamaica’s development”, noting that the initiative aligns well with the university’s mission, “to positively impact Jamaica and the wider Caribbean through high quality learning opportunities, research and value-added solutions to government, industry and communities”.

Profession Johnson noted that student beneficiaries of the STEM scholarships will have the opportunity to choose from 13 programmes offered by the Faculty of Engineering and Computing in Computer Science, Computer Network and Security, Animation Production and Development, Computer Information Systems, Gaming, Applied Artificial Intelligence, (and) Mechanical/Electrical/Civil /Chemical/Industrial engineering.

Pointing out that “UTech, Jamaica offers a comprehensive multidisciplinary variety of over 100 courses of study in computing and information technology, engineering, science, business, health, hospitality, education, the built environment, sports, law and liberal arts, 70 per cent of which are in STEM,” Professor Johnson shared that “the University is vested in ensuring that all our graduates are well-rounded and fully prepared not only with competence and know-how in their chosen field of study, but the learning environment also seeks to develop soft skills needed in today’s competitive job market.

Professor Johnson also shared that the university has commenced its recruitment drive of the targeted 17-25 age cohort who meet the matriculation requirements, as well as the financial need and community service criteria.

Executive director, SLB, Nickeisha Walsh, said the partnership along with the accompanying objectives is a “step in the right direction” for Jamaica. She assured that “we will include a mechanism to ensure that scholarship recipients commit to adequate time working in Jamaica and contributing to national development”.