ST CATHERINE, Jamaica— WINDALCO says it has invested J$27 million in educational programmes that students from communities in St Catherine, St Ann, Clarendon and Manchester have benefitted from.

In a release on Tuesday, the company stated that 75 students have received scholarships and grants totalling more than J$10 million, with hundreds of students receiving book vouchers under the Company’s annual back-to-school programme.

Nine students who were successful in the recent sitting of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exams were also awarded five-year scholarships, WINDALCO said.

The investment forms part of WINDALCO’s annual Educational Programme, which benefits students residing near or within the company’s operating areas, who have excelled academically at the primary and tertiary levels.

Speaking at the award ceremony on August 29, Glendon Johnson, human resources director, told the students that investing in the education of Jamaica’s youth is a commitment the company will maintain annually, despite the challenges it faces.

“This year we have invested a total of J$22 million in educational initiatives across several communities. That amount includes the company’s annual back-to-school fairs in St Catherine and St Ann, where students and community members benefited from free medical offered by volunteer medical professionals and other services from a number of government agencies. We also invested J$5 million in our summer employment programme as we prepare students for the working world,” Johnson said.

He also encouraged the students to make full use of the financial assistance, noting that past recipients of the company’s scholarship programme have moved on to become productive members of society.

Meanwhile, employee and community relations manager, Lanceroy Morris, encouraged the youngsters transitioning to secondary school to remain focused.

“This is the beginning of a new phase of your life and the only thing that remains constant in life is change. Therefore, the sooner you adapt to change, the sooner you can achieve success,” Morris said.

The company added that tertiary students are eligible for financial assistance for the full tenure of their studies once they maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and PEP scholarship recipients will also benefit annually for maintaining a B+ average while in high school.