The Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) and the University of Technology (UTech) are to join forces as both institutions seek to strengthen the scope of their programmes.

"The partnership will cover even joint validation of all the degrees that we will be offering and we are going to share competencies because the CMI is equipped with all the latest technology," Fritz Pinnock, executive director of the institute, explained. "We want to use this for the development of the Jamaican youth."

Centre of excellence

Professor Errol Morrison, the newly appointed president of UTech, said the university wanted to establish the CMI as a centre of excellence. "I will endeavour to move post haste to have this institution identified as a centre of excellence of the University of Technology," he emphasised.

Both gentlemen were attending a scholarship awards ceremony at the institute yesterday where Craig Nelson was awarded the inaugural Lucien Rattray Scholarship and Jerome McFarlane received the Dr. Sir Vance Lannaman Scholarship. The scholarships will cover the entire cost of both students' programmes of study, as well as meals and boarding. Five other students received grants and bursaries ranging between $25,000 and $30,000.

The proposed partnership is coming at the same time that the CMI is preparing to roll out five new degree programmes.