UTech Partners with Sutherland Global for Student Training and Job Placement

The University of Technology (UTech) has entered into a partnership with Sutherland Global Services (SGS) that will lead to training and job placement for students of the institution.

The agreement provides SGS funding for construction of an ‘Earn While You Learn’ Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) operation at UTech’s Papine campus.

There is a similar facility on the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Mona campus.

Under the learning/business model, students are trained and enabled to earn to sustain themselves, achieve academic expectations, and pay for their education.

Students will work part-time and full-time during their studies, and in some cases, after graduation, and gain valuable work experience, professional skills and income.

Delivering the keynote address at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the collaboration yesterday (November 17) on the UTech campus, Minister of Education, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, welcomed the arrangement.

He lauded UTech for its foresight in “embracing the opportunity to enter into this strategic partnership,” noting that the students will gain skills for jobs in the BPO sector.

The Minister noted that the success of the venture will “attract other leading corporations to give Jamaica a favourable look in this (BPO) arena.”

He said the Government is committed to training people so that the entrance of other companies “can be as seamless as possible.”

For his part, Acting President of the university, Professor Colin Gyles, said the agreement with SGS was an easy one given the benefits that it will bring to the student population and Jamaica.

“It is our intention to ensure that the plans outlined in the MoU are carried out in the shortest possible time,” he pledged.

Associate Vice President and Country Head for SGS, Odetta Rockhead, noted that the Earn While You Learn business model enables  the company to function without expending additional resources in hiring and training new staff.

“That is why this model is attractive, and that is why we are looking to expand along these lines,” she noted.

SGS has been operating in Jamaica just over two years, offering services in finance and accounting, human resource outsourcing, sales, technical support and customer care. This is delivered through voice, video, chat and email and back-office operations.

The company is one of the largest global providers of business process and technology management services, and currently employs over 5,000 professionals across the world.

It has been recognised by the Financial Times and the United Nations (UN) for its ‘Earn While You Learn’ initiative.