Persons wishing to pursue higher education are being encouraged to make use of the benefits available at the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB). The entity recently relaunched its Grant-in-Aid facility, which is tailored for students who are on the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH), are wards of the State, or are from households where the income is below...

The Jamaica Stock Exchange’s (JSE) efforts to develop the capacity of young people in financial literacy and money management have been endorsed by Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams. Speaking during the launch of the Primary School Stock Market Education programme at the JSE in downtown Kingston on Friday (October 20), Mrs. Williams said the initiative is designed...

The Government will be implementing a strategic and integrated programme of education aimed at transitioning students into the labour market upon completion of secondary or tertiary education, says Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams. Mrs. Williams, who was the keynote speaker at the Association of Caribbean Higher Education Administrators (ACHEA) 20th annual conference at the Royalton Negril Resort...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government’s partnership with the international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to play a pivotal role in the development of the country. The Prime Minister made the remarks during a meeting with newly appointed President of the World Bank, Ajay Banga and President...

Culture, Health, Arts, Sports, and Education (CHASE) Fund Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Wilford “Billy” Heaven, says investing in early-childhood education is critical to the development of Jamaica’s children, noting that this has long-term benefits for the society. Addressing students, teachers, and parents at the Westmoreland-based Savanna-la-Mar Infant School recently, Mr. Heaven said the quality of early-childhood education is the difference...

The Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (MSME) and Entrepreneurship Policy, which is up for review in 2023, will provide an opportunity for improvements to ensure greater financial inclusion, particularly for persons with disabilities. The Policy, prepared by the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, was last updated in 2018. It creates a framework that offers coordinated, coherent and targeted support...

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, is calling on business graduates to assist the Government’s efforts to impart financial literacy skills to students. She said there is need for students to be exposed to such knowledge at earlier levels of the education system. Addressing the University of Technology (UTech) School of Business Administration’s recent annual staff retreat, Mrs....

Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Audley Shaw says that the VM Pensions Management Limited scheme established for public transport operators, has opened discussions for other financial benefits for the sector. This initiative has opened discussions in other areas such as, life and health insurance, and financial literacy. It is imperative that we work to have these open discussions, with...

Navigating the financial system can be intimidating for the average person. Terms such as stock options, dividends, reducing balance are not simple or easy to understand and can be a turn-off for persons looking to access financial products to serve their needs. In addition, there have been complaints among the unbanked about the onerous procedures they have to go through...

The Culture, Health,, Arts Science and Education (CHASE) Fund has provided $36.5 million in scholarships to tertiary-level students pursuing undergraduate degrees in early-childhood education for the 2021/22 academic year. Scholarship recipients are attending teacher-training institutions across the island. The investment is in keeping with CHASE’s ongoing support for the development of the early-childhood education sector. In 2013, CHASE adjusted its...

A proposal for the establishment of seven years of secondary education in Jamaica has been approved by Cabinet. Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Fayval Williams, who made the disclosure while addressing Wednesday’s (October 6) virtual post-Cabinet press briefing, said this will allow all students to have access to learning opportunities in grades 12 and 13 (sixth form). “The...

The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service remains committed to informing Jamaicans about the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS). The strategy, which was developed in 2017, articulates the Government’s drive to create an enabling environment that makes it easier for Jamaicans to save, invest and do business. The goal of the NFIS is to create the conditions under which...

It is with a deep sense of sadness that I learnt of the passing of Greta Bogues – interim CEO for the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica, (PSOJ). Greta was a stalwart in the private sector and a true servant of Jamaica who could be relied on to give her all in any effort with which she was tasked. Her...

The public is invited to the Financial Services Commission (FSC) Town Hall Meeting to be held at the Cecil Charlton Hall, Hargreaves Avenue in Mandeville, Manchester, on Tuesday, May 21, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Communications and Public Education Officer at the FSC, Toni-Ann Bryson, told JIS News that the town hall meeting is part of a drive by the FSC...