Fourteen tertiary-level students have benefited from scholarships totaling $7 million under the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) Hoilett/Lambert Scholarship.

The presentations were made during the official launch of the scholarship programme at the JBI’s Hope Gardens location in St. Andrew on Friday (Sept. 13)

The students, who are from bauxite-producing parishes across the island, received $500,000 each to support their studies in diverse fields such as agriculture, engineering, geoscience, education, biology, and information technology.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, congratulated the students, who are the inaugural recipients of the scholarship.

He noted that the selection process was rigorous.

“We saw over 500 students applying so you can imagine how difficult it was to narrow it down to these 14. This is our first year and you are the first batch of JBI Hoilett/Lambert scholars. How you do will be a direct reflection on the programme and how well the programme will do in the years to come,” he said.

Minister Green encouraged the students to excel in their fields of study, noting that they have a valuable contribution to make to the country.

“When you have completed your journey, we don’t expect you to leave us. Hopefully, some of you will find a place in the public service or at the JBI and hopefully, we will be able to employ some of you because we now know that you are the best of the best,” he said.

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, in her remarks, noted that the scholarship programme by the JBI is an investment in the students and the communities from which they come.

“When businesses give back, they uplift not just individuals but entire communities. This scholarship goes far beyond financial support; it lays on you [scholarship awardees] the responsibility to make the most of this opportunity to contribute to your community and to carry forward this legacy of excellence,” she said.

General Manager at the JBI, Yolanda Drakapoulos, noted the Institute’s commitment to the development of bauxite communities.

“All of our work is [focused on] improving the lives of Jamaicans through education, agriculture, healthcare and infrastructure. This is done with one overarching goal in mind, and that is to ensure that earnings from the mineral that has put us on the map are felt by everyone,” she said.

The JBI Hoilett/Lambert Scholarship represents a significant investment in the educational advancement of students from the bauxite-producing parishes of St. Ann, Manchester, St. Elizabeth, Clarendon and St. Catherine, empowering them to pursue their academic dreams and contribute to national development.

It was initiated in honour of the late Dr. Nigel Hoilett and the late Dr. Hugh Lambert, both former research specialists at the JBI, who provided exemplary service to the Bauxite Community Development Programme (BCDP).