SJPI students benefit from modern, up-to-date syllabus

by Shamar Blunt

Partnerships between educational institutions and the private sector will be critical to Barbados’ move to create a green economy.

That’s the view of Acting Principal of the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology (SJPI) Audrey Jones-Drayton during the award ceremony for the Nªational Ozone-Depleting Substances Phase-Out Support Scholarship which was sponsored by the Ministry of Environment and National Beautification, the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The scholarship, now in its sixth year, aims to support students of the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Diploma Programme at the SPI with the department also receiving much needed new equipment, tools and devices to help upgrade its laboratory.

While speaking to the press about the programme, Jones-Drayton said that the institution has completely updated its teaching syllabuses over the years to include more information on modern environmental sustainability practices.

“I believe that partnerships are important because the institution is grounded in its relationships with the demands of civic society and the demands of industry. We realize that we have to care for our environment, and part of the whole greening process is important here at the institution.

“Our curriculum is integrated with topics related to greening, and the use of refrigerants and the change out to friendlier refrigerants is part of that greening process.

“The [presentation] here today, compliments what is happening on campus because there are other green initiatives as well,” she said.

The school has also received photovoltaic panels in the past from the Public Sector Smart Energy Programme, as well as future projects dedicated to bringing wider public awareness to the benefits of implementing environment friendly processes within industries.

Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Environment and National Beautification Daphne Kellman congratulated this year’s two scholarship recipients, Romel Dottin and James Gooding on their achievements, noting how they have succeeded in a field that has been at the forefront of trying to cut down on harmful gases being released into the atmosphere.

“We recognize how important the cold chain is in keeping foods and medicines fresh, so that we can feed people [around] the world.

“The world depends upon the cold chain, but scientists have discovered that refrigeration, [and] other things we do release harmful gases and chemicals into the atmosphere, to the detriment of our own survival.

“The reason I think the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning sector is exemplary is because it has taken a hands-on approach to addressing the negative impacts that come from releasing these gases into the atmosphere,” she explained. (SB)