KINGSTON, Jamaica - A total of $16.5 million will be disbursed to 17 tertiary students, under the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH), over a three-year period, having excelled academically at the secondary level.

Minister of Labour and Social Security Derrick Kellier made the announcement at an awards ceremony, held Thursday at the ministry’s Head Office at North Street in Kingston.

“Today we commend these students who have continued that educational leap towards success. They are seen as positive testimonials of what can be achieved through hard work and partnership, between the Government, families and the communities,” he said.

Kellier said that the ministry was pleased with the efforts of the beneficiaries adding that there is hope for the nation’s children, regardless of their socio-economic background.

“The awardees before us today have attained over 10 passes with distinction in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exams (CAPE), and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. They are among those that have been accepted to study Law, Medicine, and Nursing at the University of the West Indies (UWI), University of Technology (UTECH), Northern Caribbean University (NCU) and Brown’s Town Community College,” he noted.

“As a society, we must pledge our support by helping to reform the social safety net in Jamaica, so that our children can have a brighter future. We must be resolute in helping families to build resilience to prevent them from falling further into poverty, in the event of adverse shocks. Importantly, we must establish a culture of caring, instead of giving up on our people,” Kellier emphasised.