Applications for SJPP’s new academic year hit record high

The Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic (SJPP) is reporting a high number of applicants for the 2017-2018 academic year, with students showing
a great interest in areas such as renewable energy, garment technology, fibre optic technology, housekeeping and automotive engineering.

Principal of the SJPP, Hector Belle, made the acknowledgement during a break from the educational institution’s 48th Anniversary Service, held yesterday in the Polytechnic’s auditorium.

He however lamented the fact that the SJPP had to turn away a number of students, due to limited spaces available for certain courses. He also stressed that these students were still given the option of accessing the Polytechnic’s Continuing Education Programme, to give them a head start in other areas.

“This year we have had… a high number of applicants, which we had to assist to determine how many we could accept, because as usual, we can’t take all.
We are limited by the number of classrooms, the labs, in terms of the number of students which we have here. But we have a new innovation here at the institution. We have encouraged most of those students who were rejected initially, to more or less pursue continuing education studies, which is now being managed by Mr. Kevin Chapman. The same very courses that are delivered in the full-time, are being delivered in continuing education, so students can get the initial start and hopefully, by next year when they reapply, they will be a step ahead of the others, in continuing their education. But at least they would be provided with the much necessary training,” the principal explained.

He meanwhile noted that the advice seems to have taken root with the students who could not gain access to the SJPP, given the numbers signing up for the Continuing Education Programme.

“The response has been very great, in that on September 21, we had apparently over 400 persons who applied to the Continuing Education Department, to be trained in various fields. Areas of interest would be renewable energy, the garment technology, fibre optic technology and the housekeeping are areas that we are finding that persons are showing a lot of interest in. Of course automotive engineering is one of the major areas in which students apply for at the Polytechnic and we are trying our best to accommodate them, but we cannot accommodate all,” Belle asserted. (RSM)