(From left) Pauline Madourie, Scholarship Officer, UTech, Ja; Dr. Laurence Neufville, Dean of the Faculty of the Built Environment, UTech, Ja; Samantha Charles, CEO, VM Foundation; Courtney Campbell, President and CEO, VM Group; and Vivienne Jones, Director, VM Foundation, all stopped for a quick photo following the launch of the VM Foundation’s 2024 Scholars Programme on Friday, May 10, at the VM Group’s corporate office in Kingston.
The VM Foundation’s team shared a light moment following the launch of the 2024 VM Scholars Programme on Friday, May 10. Our lens captured (from left) Antoinette England Brown, Programme Administrator; Samantha Charles, CEO; and Andre Robb, Programme Lead.
Following the launch of the 2024 VM Scholars Programme on Friday, May 10, our lens captured Samantha Charles (centre), CEO of the VM Foundation, giving some sound advice to two past VM scholars, Calicia Vassel (left) and Eby Nelson (right). Both scholars also shared their testimonials about the programme during the launch event.
The VM Foundation has introduced two new components to its scholarship offerings that will see more tertiary students benefiting from financial support come September 2024.
This includes a partnership with the University of Technology (UTech, Ja) to offer a scholarship to a student entering the second year of undergraduate studies in the Faculty of the Built Environment, and the VM Foundation Pensioners’ Bursary, which will be given to a deserving student entering their final year of undergraduate study in any discipline.
While speaking at the 2024 VM Scholars Programme launch on Friday, May 10, Courtney Campbell, VM Group President and CEO and Chairman of the VM Foundation, said “I am very pleased to see how the VM Foundation continues to expand its reach by facilitating new opportunities for Jamaica’s youth to deepen their skills and this is evidence that we are really committed to the development of our nation’s youth. I’m also thankful to our pensioners, who have selflessly made a commitment to contribute from their savings to fund a new bursary.”
The Foundation’s partnership with UTech, Ja forms part of a push to nurture the next generation of leaders, who will help to drive sustainable development in Jamaica and beyond. The scholarship is valued at $1,500,000 with $500,000 split across 3 years and applicants must demonstrate academic potential and financial need.
“The built environment shapes our quality of life in many ways. This ranges from the air that we breathe to the road networks we traverse. As we grapple with the adverse effects of climate change, now, more than ever, we have to place greater emphasis on the design and development of the built environment. This new scholarship will provide a route for talented students to increase their knowledge and contribute to designing the future we want for our country,” said Samantha Charles, CEO – VM Foundation.
The Faculty of the Built Environment houses the School of Building and Land Management and the Caribbean School of Architecture. Over the years, the Faculty has commanded attention by producing work-ready graduates with solid operational skills. Degree programmes span architecture, land surveying, geographic information sciences, urban and regional planning, land economy and valuation surveying, engineering, construction management, mines and quarry management, among others.
Dr. Laurence Neufville, Dean of the Faculty, stated, “we’re keen on developing leaders who can think strategically about sustainable development in an increasingly globalised world. Therefore, we’re very delighted for the scholarship support as it will empower the recipient each year to put one foot in front of the other, in a push to craft an impactful career.”
Applicants must be between the ages of 18 to 25, with an active VM Building Society (VMBS) savings account prior to the award of the scholarship. They are expected to have completed the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) Unit 1 and 2 and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams and obtain a minimum average of 75% for their first year at Utech.
Meanwhile, the VM Pensioners’ Bursary is valued at $175,000 and is tenable at any accredited tertiary institution in Jamaica. Applicants must have at least a 75% average as well as an active VMBS account. Relatives of VM pensioners will not be eligible for consideration.
Vivienne Jones, Director, VM Foundation, who introduced the bursary at Friday’s launch said, “I am even more pleased as the Body of VM Pensioners, of which I am a part, is seized of the fact that education is a key element in addressing or ameliorating some of the problems in Jamaica today, and given that awareness, has agreed to give back to our society by offering a bursary, on an annual basis.”
The Foundation will continue to support students through its other scholarship offerings including the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) Bursary, Junior Plan Scholarship (awarded to the top PEP student in each county), the tertiary-level Future Plan Scholarship, the STEM (science, technology, education, mathematics) Scholarship and Bursary and the Master Plan Scholarship and Bursary.
VM scholarship recipients will also continue to receive mentorship support as well as training in financial literacy and soft skills.
