... Programme embodies PCJ’s corporate social responsibility policy

PETROLEUM CORPORATION of Jamaica (PCJ) Chairman Russell Hadeed said the internship programme at the University of Technology (UTech) embodies his organisation’s corporate social responsibility policy, which gives priority to initiatives that allow them to support education and youth development.

He expects that with the exposure, the interns will be able to develop their technical and entrepreneurial skills, as well as be able to pursue tertiary studies.

Hadeed said that the participants, who will be awarded certificates of competence, are expected to contribute to nation-building.

PROGRAMME GOING WELL

For his part, UTech’s president, Professor Stephen Vasciannie, welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with the PCJ “to provide secondary-school graduates and youth in underserved communities with a pre-university experience”.

Noting that the programme is already under way, Professor Vasciannie said the first of three cohorts of students, which has been resident at UTech since May, completed training on June 8.

“So far, the programme has been going well. It has been a good cross-faculty exposure for the students, with inputs coming from our Faculty of Engineering and Computing, Faculty of the Built Environment, and the College of Business and Management, including the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management,” he said.

Professor Vasciannie said that UTech continues to enjoy a very productive and long-standing partnership with the PCJ, developing initiatives aimed at capacity-building in engineering education, scholarships and research.