The National Youth Service (NYS) on Thursday, September 11, signed an MOU with the Brown’s Town Community College for its Access to Higher Education Partnership (AHEP) Programme. AHEP provides grants to youths between the ages of 17 and 24, who are pursuing undergraduate studies in national priority areas, inclusive of agriculture, tourism and logistics. Originally piloted in 2013/14 at the Northern Caribbean University, the programme benefitted fifty-six (56) students. However, this year, the programme is extended to include the College of Agriculture Science and Education (CASE), Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) and Brown’s Town Community College (BTCC). The NYS says the programme will reach over 100 students. Speaking at the ceremony, at the college, Minister of Youth and Culture, Lisa Hanna, encouraged students to work assiduously in achieving their goals.
The Students of BTCC applauded the NYS on this effort. The NYS says accessing finances to pursue tertiary education is still a major concern for many Jamaicans. Annually, NYS receives a large number of applicants requesting financial assistance to fund tertiary education. Resulting from this, the NYS has designed the Access to Higher Education Partnership (AHEP) Programme.
In photo, Minister of Youth and Culture Lisa Hanna (left) is joined by Rev Lenworth Sterling, principal of Ferncourt High and a director on the NYS board, and chairman of the board of the Brown’s Town Community College, Dr Michael Whittingham in signing the MOU.
