The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. (Photo: UWI)

Government is set to initiate a programme at The University of the West Indies (UWI) that will, from this year, require Barbadian undergraduate students to give their services to the community.

This comes against the backdrop of recent announcements by Government, in its budgetary proposal, that it would absorb the full cost of tuition fees for students attending the campus, effective academic year 2018-2019.  Four years ago, Barbadian students pursuing studies at the UWI were required to pay tuition fees, which constituted 20 per cent of the total cost of programmes.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Partnership Relations has been charged with the responsibility of mobilising and soliciting the participation of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs) in this programme.

As such, the Ministry is inviting NGOs and CBOs to facilitate the initiative by providing community service opportunities to students under the programme, which will be supervised by the UWI.

Full-time students will be required to give 150 hours of approved community service per year, while part-time students will be required to give 100 hours.

According to the Ministry, this UWI programme will represent for students a “token of appreciation” in return for the tuition support being provided by Government from September of this year.

For further information on the programme, NGOs, CBOs and interested persons should contact Senior Administration Officer (Ag), Anthony Joseph, at the Ministry of Labour and Social Partnership Relations via email at ajoseph@labour.gov.bb, or telephone numbers 535-1400 and 535-1405, by Friday, August 24, 2018.

They may also submit correspondence to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Social Partnership Relations, 3rd Floor, West Wing, Warrens Office Complex, Warrens, St. Michael.

joy-ann.gill@barbados.gov.bb

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