Barnett Ltd welcomes ground-breaking of new UWI campus out west
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Managing director of Barnett Limited, Mark Kerr Jarrett has welcomed Friday’s ground-breaking for the start of the development of the University of the West Indies (UWI) new Western Jamaica Campus at the Barnett Estate in Fairfield, Montego Bay.
In fact, the renowned developer expressed that despite several missed deadlines since the agreement of sales signing on May 16, 2014 for some 18 acres of land for the establishment of the new campus, his interest in the project still did not wane.
“When the initial groundbreaking deadlines were missed, we at Barnett couldn’t have exercised our rights under the agreement of sale to take the land back. It was tempting, especially since the bypass will be running along two sides of the property increasing the commercial value. But we realised that this institution is about more than money and returns. It is about the fulsome development of Jamaica and more importantly, our people, the most precious resource we have and we refuse to lose sight of this fact and the responsibility that we have,” Kerr Jarrett stated during the ground-breaking ceremony on Friday.
The Montego Bay developer expressed that since the 2014 signing more than 6,000 BPO jobs have been generated at the nearby Barnett Tech Park.
“In 2014 when the agreement of sales was signed we were completing our first 50,000 square feet BPO centre with 1,000 seats and 2,000 potential jobs. Today we have 200,000 square feet and 4,000 seats occupied with close to 6,500 young people gainfully employed by our clients, Conduent and ACT. And let us not forget our partners Vista Print who employ another 1,100 young Jamaicans in their global service centre in the Barnett Tech Park. 7,600 young Jamaicans at work.
He disclosed that “we are currently constructing another 75,000 square feet and 1,500 for delivery to Conduent by August this year.”
The Barnett Ltd executive noted that the development of the new campus augurs well for the provision of the skills training required for preparing workers for the growing BPO workforce.
“These jobs and many more to come need filling by educated and trained young people who will be more of our ambassadors to the world which we so competently serve,” he pointed out.