THE VM Foundation has introduced two new components to its scholarship offerings that will see more tertiary students benefiting from financial support come September
2024.

This includes a partnership with University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) to offer a scholarship to a student entering the second year of undergraduate studies in the Faculty of the Built Environment, and the VM Foundation Pensioners’ Bursary which will be given to a deserving student entering their final year of undergraduate study in any discipline.

Speaking at the 2024 VM Scholars Programme launch on May 10, Courtney Campbell, VM Group president and CEO and chairman of the VM Foundation, said he was pleased to see how VM Foundation continues to expand its reach by facilitating new opportunities for Jamaica’s youth to deepen their skills.“This is evidence that we are really committed to the development of our nation’s youth. I’m also thankful to our pensioners who have selflessly made a commitment to contribute from their savings to fund a new bursary,” he said.

The foundation’s partnership with UTech forms part of a push to nurture the next generation of leaders, who will help to drive sustainable development in Jamaica and beyond. The scholarship is valued at $1,500,000, with $500,000 split across three years, and applicants must demonstrate academic potential and financial need.

“The built environment shapes our quality of life in many ways; this ranges from the air that we breathe to the road networks we traverse. As we grapple with the adverse effects of climate change, now – more than ever – we have to place greater emphasis on the design and development of the built environment. This new scholarship will provide a route for talented students to increase their knowledge and contribute to designing the future we want for our country,” said Samantha Charles, CEO, VM Foundation.

The Faculty of the Built Environment houses the School of Building and Land Management and the Caribbean School of Architecture. Over the years the faculty has commanded attention by producing work-ready graduates with solid operational skills. Degree programmes span architecture, land surveying, geographic information sciences, urban and regional planning, land economy and valuation surveying, engineering, construction management, mines and quarry management, among others.

Dr Laurence Neufville, dean of the faculty, said they are keen on developing leaders who can think strategically about sustainable development in an increasingly globalised world.

“Therefore, we’re very delighted for the scholarship support as it will empower the recipient each year to put one foot in front of the other in a push to craft an impactful career,” he said.

Applicants must be between 18 to 25 years old, with an active VM Building Society (VMBS) savings account prior to the award of the scholarship. They are expected to have completed the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) Unit 1 and 2 and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams, obtaining a minimum average of 75 per cent for their first year at Utech.

Meanwhile, the VM Pensioners’ Bursary is valued at $175,000 and is tenable at any accredited tertiary institution in Jamaica. Applicants must have at least a 75 per cent average as well as an active VMBS account. Relatives of VM pensioners will not be eligible for consideration.

Vivienne Jones, director of VM Foundation and who introduced the bursary, said she is even more pleased as the body of VM pensioners is seized of the fact that education is a key element in addressing or ameliorating some of the problems in Jamaica today.