SJPI open to all

THE Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology (SJPI) is still an open admissions institution.

Chairman of the Board of Management, Desmond Browne, MBE, gave this assurance, explaining that the recent name change is simply in recognition of the institution’s continued growth.

He was at the time addressing the 2017 Graduation and Awards Ceremony, which saw the first cohort of students graduating from SJPI, on Saturday evening.

The 48-year-old institution, formerly known as the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic (SJPP), was renamed on October 19, by Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ronald Jones.

“The change of name is just an indication of how we have grown in the past decade. We have been doing a plethora of technologies at this institution…

“But, I need to stress that we are still an open admissions institution. We are not turning away people because of qualifications or anything of the sort. As a matter of fact, we are making specific efforts to deal with those who may be less able than the others. We have a special STEPS programme to deal with literacy and numeracy, so our weakest student will be guided through the relevant course work. So, we do not want the word to go forth that we are now an institute and we have abandoned our original mandate to teach skills and traits for all Barbadian males and females,” he said.

Browne also took the opportunity to reach out to those students who were not successful at completing their entire programme of study, urging them to return to SJPI.

“I realised that some people have missed the complete programme by one or two courses; such persons should return to the institution and finish the one or two courses, so you too receive your full diploma. Do not settle for anything but the complete diploma… Your parents have paid fees and have been supporting you; your job is to complete the task,” the Chairman stressed.

During the academic year 2016/2017, the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology provided training to 1 589 students. They consisted of 978 full-time; 442 Open and Flexible Learning Centre/Distance and Continuing Education students; and 169 day-release students. Full-time enrolment consisted of 595 first-year students, 304 second-year students, and 33 third-year students. Of this total, 334 were females and 675 males.

This year’s graduating class was awarded 147 Certificates and 126 Diplomas for full-time programmes; some 340 persons who pursued shorter or evening courses in the Distance and Continuing Education Division also received certificates; and 38 School Meals workers who completed the Certificate in Food Preparation for School Meals Workers were also rewarded.

Principal Hector Belle commended the graduates on their performance.

“Last year, when I spoke about graduation percentage, I wasn’t a very happy principal. However, this year I can smile a bit,” he admitted, revealing the graduation rates by division – Agriculture, 70 per cent; Automotive and Welding Engineering, 58 per cent; Building Studies, 61 per cent; Business Studies, 65 per cent; Electrical Engineering, 74 per cent; Human Ecology, 71 per cent; and Mechanical Engineering and Printing, 74 per cent.

“This to me is excellent work. I think last year we were looking at an average of around 30 per cent and this year, we have doubled that.

“You should feel a sense of pride at your achievement in having reached this stage in your career. You have demonstrated that you have the required skill and knowledge and deserve your certificate. We hope that you may go on to be assets to industry, so that what you do you do well and by so doing, you bring distinction to yourselves, your families and this great institution,” Belle expressed. (TL)