THIS year’s opening call for NCB Foundation’s annual scholarships and grants programme marks a significant milestone for the organisation. Over $1 billion in scholarships and grants have been provided through the annual programme since its launch in 2008.

“We are proud of the opportunity that we have to help shape the lives of Jamaica’s future leaders and change-makers through education,” said Nadeen Matthews Blair, CEO of NCB Foundation. “This year, we are celebrating all scholars who have allowed us the privilege to be a part of their journey so far, and we look forward to supporting another set of brilliant, young Jamaicans in the pursuit of their dreams.”

With a revised focus on digital skills and areas of study over the past three years, NCB Foundation aims to cultivate a robust cadre of digital producers to help drive Jamaica’s digital transformation and leverage the digital economy for income and wealth creation.

Matthews Blair further noted, “We are focused on our mission to grow Jamaica’s pool of digital producers by 2026. In support of this objective, we are earmarking over $100 million for this year’s set of scholarships and grants. We hope that this investment will help to foster the holistic development of our scholars, equipping them with both the technical skills and the life skills crucial for the digital age.”

The scholarships will span across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of education, benefiting students of a wide array of local institutions, such as The University of the West Indies; University of Technology, Jamaica; and Northern Caribbean University, among others. Key areas of study, including software development and engineering, UI/UX design, animation, cybersecurity, data science, analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, will be prioritised. In addition to their chosen field of study, NCB Foundation scholars will also benefit from financial literacy education and mentorship.

“Our programme will give special consideration to students who not only excel academically and demonstrate community involvement but also have a passion for digital programmes and a demonstrated financial need,” Matthews Blair said.

The application period will remain open until 11:59 am, August 13. All applications must be submitted through the www.ncbscholarships.com website. Detailed information about the eligibility criteria and application process are also available on the website.