The University of Technology (UTech) Jamaica has launched a Bachelor of Science (BSc) Degree in Mines and Quarry Management that is designed to be socially and environmentally progressive in scope.

Development of the degree was supported through grant funding under the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific (OACPS) States-European Union (EU) Development Minerals Programme which is implemented by UNDP and the Ministry of Transport and Mining.

The capacity-building initiative aims to build the profile and improve the management of development minerals, including industrial and construction materials, and dimension and semi-precious stones.

Speaking at the launch ceremony on September 17, UNDP Resident Representative Denise E Antonio said graduates of the programme will considerably strengthen the cohort of highly skilled professionals capable of leading the mining and quarry industry to fulfill its economic growth potential, while also meeting obligations to be stewards of the environment and mineral resources.

“In partnership with the OACPS and European Union, UNDP remains committed to supporting the Government with strengthening the policy, legal and institutional frameworks and ensuring that exploration and extraction operations are environmentally and socially sustainable.” She outlined.

Ms Antonio said an adequate and sustainable supply of minerals and other raw materials is an essential component to economic growth and development globally and that Jamaica’s significant deposits of these Development Minerals is the reason why the sector remains a key source of foreign exchange earnings for the Government of Jamaica.

Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Robert Montague, expressed gratitude to “our EU partners, who have funded the programme, and the UNDP that has been its implementer”.

He said that the degree programme represents another milestone in the continued advancement of the country’s mining and minerals sector through the provision of tertiary-level training and certification of personnel.

He noted that “mineral extraction and mineral development require, among other prerequisites, trained and qualified personnel to ensure efficiency, environmental compatibility, safety and profitability”.

It is this regard, Minister Montague said, the Government, through the Mining Training School, is providing training for Jamaicans working in the sector.

Training of quarry managers and supervisors commenced in 2019 in partnership with the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ) at the Excelsior Community College (Kingston Campus).

It is the Government’s intention to lift the human resource standard within the mining sector through establishment of a Mining Management Institute that will provide training and certification of all workers.

The curriculum to be developed will focus on areas such as proper record-keeping; health and safety rules and systems; equipment selection and maintenance; resource evaluation; land rehabilitation and reclamation; energy efficiency, while reducing any negative impacts on the environment; and protecting people’s health.

Minister Montague expressed confidence that UTech’s curriculum for the BSc. in Mines and Quarry Management would cover these areas.

Noting that mining is a substantial part of the country’s economy, he said that the vast majority of materials needed to create the physical infrastructure, including the buildings, roads, and bridges, are provided by the sector.

He said that mining, particularly the quarrying segment, is one of those areas of economic activity that will grow even during periods of weak economic performance, as the materials are needed to maintain the physical infrastructure.

The mining sector contributed 2.4 per cent of Jamaica’s gross domestic product in in 2019 and accounted for 51 per cent of the country’s domestic export.

The OACPS-EU Development Minerals Programme was implemented in Jamaica in 2016.

Original article produced by Jamaica Information Service (JIS) , with inputs from UNDP Multi Country Office in Jamaica.