THE Ministry of Education, Youth and Information on Monday advised that it will be making contact with graduates from Caribbean Maritime University, who last month raised concerns about not being awarded their associate degrees, “to ensure that they all have their associate degrees in hand”.

Permanent secretary in the ministry, Dr Grace McLean informed the Jamaica Observer that the certificates are available for the first cohort of the two-year occupational associate degree programme, which was developed under the direction of the Centre of Occupational Studies in the education ministry and launched in 2016 by Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

The programme was designed to boost Jamaica’s skilled workforce in the areas of logistics, business process outsourcing, knowledge process outsourcing, manufacturing, agriculture, hospitality, and renewable energy technology.

“…The certificates are ready and students have been asked to pick up. After the story, students were called and advised to pick up transcripts, which are also available. Further contact will be made with the students later this week to ensure that they all have their associate degrees in hand,” Dr McLean told the Observer.

She said, however, that only students who have successfully completed the programme will be awarded the associate degree.

“Just to note that there are some students who are claiming that they have completed other programmes but the records show that they have areas outstanding. These students are being facilitated to complete the outstanding areas to be certified,” Dr McLean stated.

In an Observer front-page story published on December 10, angry students, who asked not to be identified out of fear of being victimised, complained that they had completed the programme and graduated but had not been awarded the associate degree.

According to the students, there had been no word from authorities regarding the issuance of the degrees, even though several of them were unable to gain employment, secure promotions at work, or further their studies.

In that story, one student had likened being kept in the dark to “some bandooloo thing”.

In a response letter to the Observer story, the ministry had said that 35 students were eligible for certification in intermodal transportation management and logistics and supply chain operations — two areas of study which fall under the programme.

“These students have met the requirements and their associate degrees are now going through the final stages of preparation and will be ready before the end of December,” the ministry had said.

Several students, who the Observer contacted on Monday, said that they would be contacting CMU after the holiday period for an update.