The Government is investing $1 billion over five years to finance 150 scholarships for qualified public sector workers under the new Marcus Garvey Public Sector Graduate Scholarship Programme.

Minister of Finance and the Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke announced the initiative while opening the 2020/2021 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

He said that the fully funded scholarships will enable personnel to undertake specific programmes of study at universities in Jamaica and overseas that are aligned with the Government’s priorities.

The institutions include The University of the West Indies; the University of Technology, Jamaica; Oxford University; and Harvard University, among others. The awardees will be required to work with the Government for a specified period upon completing their studies.

Dr Clarke told the House that the scholarship programme is for members of the civil service who want to advance their careers and are committed to strengthening the capacity of the public sector and the nation.

“It is being introduced as a human capital development initiative to provide world-class educational opportunities for Jamaican public- sector employees who are at the forefront of the effort to move Jamaica in the right direction,” Dr Clarke said.

He noted that the initiative will also be used as a tool to help attract, motivate and retain qualified and high-potential staff.

“It will give public sector employees an added incentive to remain in the Government service, as well as include a mechanism to ensure that the scholarship recipients commit to adequate time in the public service,” Dr Clarke added.

The scholarship programme was developed through input from the Jamaica Civil Service Association.

— JIS