In September 2021, the University of Technology (UTech) of Jamaica launched a 3-year Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree program in Mines and Quarry Management. The program became a reality with the support of the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme.

The BSc Mines and Quarry Management Program is offered not only in Jamaica, but also throughout the Caribbean and beyond, delivered both online and in-person to accommodate learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. The degree programme is very

timely – in a drive to make the sector more professional, the Government of Jamaica now requires all quarries and mines to have trained as managers –either with a certificate or a degree. It is expected that ultimately, the program will produce graduates who will fill managerial positions and drive productivity in the development minerals sector. The course gives opportunities to youth to get university education at an affordable cost, that will enhance their prospects of getting jobs in in mining and quarrying.

In his remarks, Senor Escipion J. Oliveira Gomez, Assistant Secretary General of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), stressed the importance of capacity building to improve the productivity of small and medium scale enterprises operating in the development minerals sector. He expressed the readiness of the OACPS to support countries in this regard.

Dr. Laurence Neufville, Associate Professor and Programme Lead for the BSc. Mines and Quarry Management Program, participated in several training programs of the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme, including a curriculum sprint in Maputo, Mozambique, in 2017, where the Programme shared its training materials with academics and technical experts. The curriculum sprint motivated the introduction of the degree course in Mine and Quarry Management by UTech.