Jamaica

A PPP is also serving as the framework in Jamaica, and the IECF has initiated a partnership with the ICT for Development (ICT4D), a Jamaican NGO, to create the Jamaica Collaborative for Universal Technology Education (JCUTE).  

Starting with modest seed resources and committing to a fully collaborative approach, JCUTE will mobilize new sources of financing to support the design and launch an operation of a national technology education program to include all of the 235,000 students in Jamaica.

The goal of JCUTE is to create dynamic ICT education for all students in response to the needs and demands of the Jamaican workforce by:

    • Building a collaborative between the education sector and a wide range of stakeholders, and
    • Engaging the private sector, the Jamaican Diaspora and non-government funding sources.

Thirteen private sector companies and associations have endorsed the JCUTE to date, providing a platform for the establishment of a strong collaborative. In June 2005, the IECF made a formal presentation to the Prime Minister and members of the National Commission on Science and Technology. The Prime Minister's sanction of the Initiative at that time opened the door for the staging of a Forum to formally launch the Initiative in September 2005. Both the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture (MOYEC) and the Ministry of Commerce, Science and Technology (MCST) have pledged wholehearted support for the universal technology education approach.

This road has been paved for an effective collaborative utilizing the expertise of the IECF Team. The intended outcome is the comprehensive integration of universal technology education into the public schools of Jamaica through a PPP.