University of Technology Jamaica says with more funding development porgrammes could increase

 

During a courtesy visit to the University of Technology, Jamaica’s Papine Campus on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, Senator Dr. the Honourable Dana Morris Dixon, Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information encouraged the university’s leadership to expand on cutting-edge programmes to aid national development.

 
The Minister made the remarks during a debriefing session following her tour of several of the university’s academic units and laboratories. These include the training hotel at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, the School of Engineering’s IMEK (Mechanical and Industrial Engineering) Lab along with the College of Business and Management’s Bloomberg Lab, the Faculty of the Built Environment’s E-Z Blocks and the Natural Products Research Lab, Faculty of Science and Sport.

The Minister’s visit to the campus coincided with the university’s staging of the annual School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM) Day during which final year students showcased their capstone projects.

During the Minister’s discussion with members of the university’s leadership team, several key matters were addressed. Among them were:
Plans for expanding STEM programmess including the introduction of short courses.
Upgrading of several laboratories and lecture facilities with state-of-the-art technology to enhance teaching and learning.
The need for increased government funding.
Advancing the institution’s RESET transformation strategy, which emphasizes research, expanding access, student-centeredness, entrepreneurship, and technology focus.

Noting that she is proud of the work that UTech, Jamaica has been doing within the education landscape, Senator Dixon stated that “UTech is important for the future and I’m hoping that our visions align because I believe that if we can get UTech to be what you all want it to be, we are going to have a transformed Jamaica.”

The Minister also acknowledged the financial constraints faced by the university but praised its ongoing initiatives: “There are some programme and initiatives that you are doing that are absolutely fabulous.” 

She urged the leadership to consider expanding offerings with forward-thinking courses: “I want students to choose UTech as a school of first choice and it’s going to mean that we need to have some cutting-edge programmes that nobody else has which we know that there is demand for…don’t try to be somebody else, be UTech and be cutting-edge in your area,” she urged the team, adding, “I’d love to see more short courses because I know that will bring a lot of people in, especially in the tech world. Certifications are a thing.”

Dr. Kevin Brown, President, University of Technology, Jamaica thanked Dr. Morris Dixon for acknowledging the potential of the institution for the development of the country. He noted the university is not only serious about driving up student intake, but also “to diversify our enrolment…we want to ensure that we have future-proof programmes that will attract them here.”

Acknowledging the Minister’s statement, Chancellor, Lloyd Carney noted, “our strategy right now is to have students for life…as a society, we need our people to continue learning whether you get a degree or not. We need people to be intellectually curious.” He explained that through the current and soon to be introduced short courses, UTech, Jamaica aims to upskill professionals across the architecture, ICT and other industries, so that they can be on par with the evolving demands in their respective fields and to further boost national growth.

Noting that “there is a competition in education,” Mr. Aldrick McNab, Pro-Chancellor, UTech, Jamaica shared that given the robust and multifaceted nature of programmes at the university, its graduates end up being top professionals and industry leaders globally.


Photo courtesy of UTech: Senator Dr. the Honourable Dana Morris Dixon (right), Minister of Education, Skills, Yoth and Information, gets a first-hand view of the S310 Metal Additive Manufacturing Machine in use as Mr. Hugh Cargill, Programme Director, BSc. in Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, UTech, Jamaica turns on the device during a tour of UTech, Jamaica’s IMEK ( (Mechanical and Industrial Engineering) Lab on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.


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