28 Public-sector Workers Receive Full Scholarships For Graduate Studies

Twenty-eight public-sector workers were awarded full scholarships to pursue graduate programmes that align with areas of national importance.

This was facilitated through the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service’s Marcus Garvey Public Sector Graduate Scholarship Programme.

The 28 scholars, five of whom are from 2024, were recognised in a ceremony held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Wednesday (August 13).

Highlighting the significance of the scholarship programme, Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams, noted that it was created in 2020 as a five-year investment into the future of the public service.

“I can say from first-hand experience that this initiative was born from a genuine commitment to strengthening our public service and building a cadre of professionals ready to move Jamaica towards sustained economic development,” Mrs. Williams stated.

She disclosed that over the life of the programme, $1 billion has been allocated to allow public-sector employees to pursue postgraduate studies at local and international universities in areas of data science, public policy, public health, climate change, engineering, environmental management, cybersecurity, education, economics, and national security.

To date, 93 scholarships have been awarded, with awardees also receiving a stipend to cover reasonable monthly costs for living expenses, including meals and accommodation.

“These awards are not just a recognition of academic excellence. They are a testament to the commitment to leadership potential, a deep sense of public spiritedness, civic pride, and national development,” Minister Williams pointed out.

She encouraged the awardees to “wear the title with pride and with purpose” as they join the network of Marcus Garvey scholars.

The Minister also urged the recipients to remember the importance of service upon the completion of their studies.

“The Honourable Marcus Garvey once reminded us that the ends you serve that are selfish, will take you no further than yourself. But the ends you serve that are for all in common, will take you into eternity. May you serve not only with excellence but with a vision for Jamaica that is bold, inclusive, and enduring,” Mrs. Williams said, as she extended congratulations to the awardees.

Meanwhile Deputy Financial Secretary in the Strategic Human Resource Management Division of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Wayne Jones, emphasised the benefit of the scholarship not only to the recipients but the nation.

“We are preparing leaders, researchers, policymakers, engineers, and change makers; individuals who will help move this country forward. It means that we are investing not only in people but in policy, in progress, and in a more prosperous future,” he said.

He maintained that the country’s civil service, hospitals, classrooms, and areas that require national planning, will be made up of individuals who are informed and can refurbish the public sector with fresh and informed solutions tailored to Jamaica.

The 30 scholars for 2024 and 2025 will pursue graduate programmes at the University of Technology (UTech), University of the West Indies (UWI), Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University and King’s College London.

Upon the completion of their programmes the scholarship awardees are required to return within Jamaica’s public sector for a period of five years.

This is in keeping with the official bonding policy of the Government of Jamaica