Education

Two Young Men Receive 2024 Energy Development Scholarship

The 2024 Energy Development Scholarship winners are geologist at the Barbados National Oil Company Limited, Kevin Best, and technical officer, Coastal Zone Management Unit, Shamari Cave.

Mr. Best will pursue a Master of Science degree in Exploration Geophysics at the University of Leeds, while Mr. Cave will study for a Master of Science degree in Coastal Engineering, at the University of Plymouth, both in the United Kingdom.

Minister of Energy and Business, Senator Lisa Cummins, made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon, during a brief ceremony at the Warrens Office Complex.

Senator Cummins underscored the importance of the Energy Development Scholarship as she congratulated the young men, who will be leaving the island soon.

“We are ensuring that we’re able to build an ecosystem that creates new minds, new interests, new areas for investment, and new opportunities for Barbados to emerge…. This is a moment where Barbados now has to begin to cash in on our reputation…as that country with the most ambitious renewable energy transition goals in the world….

“Barbados has to begin to use that reputation, [and] the skills that we have developed to then become the leading exporter of skills, knowledge, and innovation. That’s where the Ministry of Energy is going with these scholarships and … partnerships like the ones that we have invested in so far,” she stated.

The Minister encouraged the young men to be innovative in their thesis choice, and gave the assurance that Ministry officials would maintain contact with them.

“We are looking forward to seeing the outputs of your research and seeing you excel,” Senator Cummins stated.

Mr. Best said he was “extremely grateful” to be awarded the prestigious award. In giving the rationale for his choice of study, he explained that local teams have strong geological backgrounds and knowledge of the Barbados petroleum system but are not qualified for specialised tasks, such as wavelet extraction, reservoir property modelling, and characterisation using 3D datasets.

“On completion of the programme, we will be able to fully evaluate new and existing 3D seismic volumes, de-risk and catalogue leads, and even discern between fluid phases within our offshore reservoirs,” he pointed out.

Like his colleague, Mr. Cave is also thankful for the scholarship. He said his area of study would be extremely beneficial to the island’s energy sector.

He continued: “This degree would allow me to gain new knowledge in engineering and coastal processes, and it will also be a big advantage in terms of helping Barbados’ offshore energy sector, especially now in the exploration of deep-water hydrocarbons.”

The Energy Development Scholarship was established by the Ministry of Energy and Business to ensure that the relevant skills and expertise are available to guide the development of Barbados’ offshore energy sector.

This year’s scholarship is funded by Woodside Energy, an international energy company that was granted effective licences in 2020 to explore the island’s offshore acreage in search of hydrocarbons. (PR/GIS)

CAPTION: Minister of Energy and Business, Senator Lisa Cummins (second from left) and Chief Geologist in the Natural Resources Department, Nesha Nurse (second from right) pose with the 2024 Energy Development Scholarship winners – Technical Oofficer, Coastal Zone Management Unit, Shamari Cave (left) and Geologist, Barbados National Oil Company Limited, Kevin Best, following a brief presentation ceremony at the Warrens Office Complex, yesterday

Education

Immigration Webinar For Students Wishing To Study In Canada

Barbadians interested in pursuing studies in Canada are invited to participate in the online Immigration Seminar of the Consulate General of Barbados, in Toronto.

The Consulate, as part of its annual activities to observe National Heroes Day, is hosting a week of activities, and the key event will be the Immigration Seminar tomorrow Thursday, April 24, at 6:00 p.m.

Over the past 12 months, there have been significant changes to the requirements and processes for obtaining an international student visa. As a result, the seminar will focus on the recent changes to the entry requirements for international students coming to Canada to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate studies.

Prospective students, as well as parents, guardians, guidance counsellors, school teachers and principals, who have a vested interest in obtaining the most up-to-date and accurate information to make the most informed choice from the available study options, are encouraged to participate in the online seminar.

Alana Alleyne, a barrister and solicitor, will cover areas such as the latest changes to international student visas, eligibility criteria for student visas, requirements for postgraduate work permits, and changes to eligibility for spousal work permits. (PR/GIS)

Education

Information Session For Teachers Keen On Working In USA

Primary school teachers interested in working in the United States of America (USA) are invited to an upcoming Information Session, tomorrow Thursday, April 24.

The session will be hosted in the Main Conference Room of the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector, Warrens Office Complex, Warrens, St. Michael, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The initiative is being facilitated by the Ministry, in partnership with the Barbados Employment and Career Counselling Service, the Barbados Union of Teachers, and Participate Learning, a USA recruitment firm.

During the event, Participate Learning will share important information on the application and recruitment processes, as well as on working in the USA. (PR/GIS)

Education

Ellerslie Students Welcomed At Barbados’ Embassy In Panama

The Embassy of Barbados in the Republic of Panama was pleased to welcome The Ellerslie School students and staff to its Chancery in Panama City, recently.

Chargé d’Affaires, Sandra Gittens, in her welcome to the group, which included Principal, Andrea Baptiste and Deputy Principal, Carl Applewhaite, shared the history of the mission, noting that the Embassy was established in 2020.

Mrs. Gittens said this was “in line with the Barbados Government’s desire to strengthen its relations and cooperation with Panama across a number of areas, including trade, investment, tourism and education”.

She expressed the hope that the visit would signal the start of a new relationship with The Ellerslie School in pursuit of future student-to-student and teacher-to-teacher exchanges, in collaboration with the Ministries of Educational Transformation and Training and Tertiary Education and its Panamanian counterpart, within the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries.

Speaking on the value of learning a foreign language, First Secretary, Shireifa Joseph, spoke of her experience as a foreign language student and the positive impact that it has had on her career.

She encouraged the students to continue their foreign language journey, signalling that they were well on their way to becoming “bridge builders” in their future careers with the capacity to connect Barbados to other countries across the globe.

Counsellor at the Embassy, Michelle Carter, also noted the value of language learning, especially for those studying tourism, stating that developing a strong proficiency in a foreign language will serve as a critical tool in opening doors to their success in this sector, whether in Barbados or abroad. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Students, teachers and parents of the Ellerslie secondary school to the Embassy of Barbados in the Republic of Panama