The H Lavity Stoutt Community College has signed a total of four grants totaling $245,000 from UNITE BVI that will benefit a number of initiatives including the launch of the Virgin Islands Teacher Training Institute and a Professional Construction Training programme.
The grants were handed over at a grant signing ceremony which was held at the college on Friday June 25.
Of the total sum of the grants, $100,000 is for the establishment and operational cost of the Virgin Islands Teacher Training Institute, which will be added to an existing $150,000 grant from the Ministry of Education.
The Professional Construction Training programme has been allocated $65,000, while the Mangrove Nursery Project has received $70,000 to assist with further expansion and an additional $10,000 to support the hiring of mangrove interns and mangrove nursery staff.
President of the college Dr. Richard Georges said he was initially anticipating only two grants, but woke to the good news that a further two were approved a day prior to the ceremony.
Will facilitate licensing of teachers locally
Speaking on the Virgin Islands Teacher Training Institute, he said there was a need to immediately look at professional development opportunities for teachers who are presently within the service which will address some of the teaching professional deficiencies within the Ministry of Education.
He further revealed that the institute will help to facilitate the process of licensing teachers in the BVI which will be a joint partnership between the college and the Ministry of Education.
“As such, a teacher training institute will facilitate the ministry and the department’s needs for professional development in the service. I know the minister can talk at length about the desire to begin licensing teachers to work in the territory and the college would then be a natural partner to provide that professional development, that continuing education that all teachers don’t matter how long you have been in practice, we’re required to make sure that we are keeping at the cutting edge of development and education,” Dr. Georges stated.
International certification in construction
The president also spoke on the Professional Construction Training Programme which he said is a necessity in the territory that will provide training and international certification in the popular construction industry.
He said the college is presently in the final stages of its accreditation process with the National Council of Construction, Education and Research and revealed that a number of the faculty staff have already been certified as master trainers, which presents the perfect time to get the programme up and running.
“For those of you who are familiar with the Marine Professional Training Programme, it will be a similar model of theory, hands on experience and then apprenticeship. We already have a number of contractors and construction companies who have agreed to be our apprentice partners and at a later date we will have time to celebrate them and their commitment to that programme,” Dr. Georges explained.
College programmes recognised internationally – money well spent
Meanwhile, Executive Director of UNITE BVI Dr. Sauda Smith spoke highly on the college, stating that monies usually gifted to the college from her organisation is oftentimes put to good use and in many cases recognised at the international level.
She said, “The college has proven to be one of our most successful implementation partners. That means that when we give the college money, we understand that we get value, we understand that those funds are stewarded in a manner which makes all of our donors very happy and satisfied because the impact is real.”
“Another of UNITE BVI core principles is to unite people and resources and place them where they’re supposed to be. This afternoon’s grant of $70,000 for the Mangrove Expansion Programme comes from one of our partners – the Well Beings Foundation – and the Well Beings Foundation was so impressed with the work of the team over at the Centre for Applied Marine Studies that they said, we want to augment what’s being done here,” Dr. Smith added.
Sharing similar sentiments was Education Minister Dr. Natalio Wheatley who commended the college for its success achieved thus far, labelling it one of his most gratifying feelings experienced during his ministerial tenure to date.