Public-sector workers accessed $50,239,389 in education grants over the period April 2015 to March 2016, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service Rudyard Spencer announced recently while his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.

He informed that the nearly 600 employees who received the grants pursued tertiary-level studies in the areas of health services, education, engineering, energy efficiency, rural and urban planning, and economic development. The areas, he said, are in support of the National Development Plan.

The grants were negotiated in the Heads of Agreements for 2015-2017. It is anticipated that approximately 700 workers will access the benefits this financial year, at a cost of $100 million.

Children of public-sector workers will also benefit from $25 million in education grants. In addition, Spencer told the House that discussions are advanced with the HEART Trust/NTA to implement seven training programmes in keeping with an available budgetary allocation. These programmes are cake baking and decorating, air conditioning and refrigeration, tile laying, interior decorating, floral arrangement, drapery making, and motor-vehicle servicing and repairs. The target for that programme is roughly 300 workers.

Source: Jamaica Observer