Education

SJPI & PCW Launch Satellite Training Programme

The Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology (SJPI) and the Pinelands Creative Workshop (PCW) have launched a satellite training programme

In his opening remarks at the launch, in the Media Resource Centre at the SJPI, yesterday, Principal of SJPI, Ian Drakes, expressed pleasure about the collaboration with PCW.

“This is an exciting time, and this has been long in coming, as the SJPI extends now the community reach of our responsibility, as the premier technical vocational educational institution in Barbados,” he said.

Mr. Drakes noted that participants would be taught by premier instructors of the SJPI. He added that at the end of their training, they would not just gain a certificate of participation but also the recognition of a quality SJPI certification.

“We have to throw away the box and just reimagine, and this is all part of the transformation…and so SJPI has put their hand up and said we are ready,” he stated.

Chief Executive Officer of the PCW, Sophia Greaves, concurred with Mr. Drakes and pointed out that the satellite programme is intentional. “Now this programme speaks to inclusive development to proactively address exclusion, [and is] for promoting inclusion,” she said.

Ms. Greaves also referred to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between SJPI and PCW, which was signed last December, and stated that both parties ensured that the agreement was not just a “file that sat on the shelf and caught dust, but one that went into action almost immediately”.

She added that after the signing of the MOU, the satellite programme cements the continuity of what both organisations believe in and want to do for the respective locations, and facilitates inclusive development in communities.

Ms. Greaves also explained that the satellite programme is a full-time programme, which is designed for those who have been educationally excluded and need to retool themselves, those who are unemployed or underemployed, those who are the head of their households and are seeking upward mobility, school leavers, new entrants to the job market, and those who do not have the financial space to invest in continuing education.

The Haynesville community in St. James will be the pilot for the satellite training programme. (PR/GIS)

Caption: From left to right – Deputy Prime Minister, Santia Bradshaw; Principal of the Samuel Jackman Institute of Technology, Ian Drakes; Chief Executive Officer of Pinelands Creative Workshop, Sophia Greaves; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Sandra Husbands, in discussion at the launch of the satellite training programme 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