FOUR Jamaicans were among 22 Caribbean professionals who benefited from a regional workshop hosted in Trinidad and Tobago by the Australian High Commission in an effort to prepare them for future leadership in their areas of expertise.

The group comprised Jamaicans Tanesha Lewis, Kimberlyn Campbell, Dadria Smith and Randall Bailey who were beneficiaries of scholarships granted by the high commission to pursue postgraduate studies at Australian universities. Recipients of these scholarships represented eight Caricom countries and they are all expected to now help advance the development agenda of the region. The other countries that benefited from this programme were Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St Lucia and St Kitts and Nevis.

The scholarship recipients represent a wide cross-section of professional areas including environmental management, disability education, renewable and sustainable energy management, public health, agriculture, fisheries and social development.

In the case of Jamaica, Lewis received a master of arts in e-learning; Campbell pursued a master’s in forensic science; Smith, master’s in international revenue administration and Bailey, a master’s in public policy.

The Australian High Commission has awarded more than 120 scholarships to Caricom countries and the Dominican Republic.