St. Vincent Brewery Ltd. has recognised the academic excellence of nine of their employees’ children, awarding them with scholarships and book allowances.
The company honoured its 22-year-old commitment by assisting nine students with scholarships, book allowances and bursaries as part of its internal “Academic Award Scheme”.
Six five-year scholarships worth EC$8,000 each, two book allowances of EC$500 and one bursary of EC$500 were awarded for the academic year beginning September 2024.
“This annual initiative supports the company’s commitment to education and its workforce,” the beverage company said in a press release.
“For us at St. Vincent Brewery we see education as vital for our community,” Country Manager Shafia London said in launching the 2024 programme.
“Our employees are the heartbeats of our operation, and we are committed to supporting the growth and development of our employees and their children,” London said.
The 2003 national scholar said academic excellence opens unlimited possibilities.
“It is against that background that we are pleased to roll out this annual programme to encourage and assist the children of our employees to commit and excel in their secondary school studies.”
Cheraz Sutherland, people coordinator at the brewery said the objective of the Academic Award Scheme is to provide financial assistance to permanent employees of St. Vincent Brewery Ltd. regarding the education of their children at the secondary school level.
“We are thrilled to support the academic achievements of these talented students, at St. Vincent Brewery Limited, we believe in giving back to our employees and investing in their family’s future through education,” Sutherland said.
The initiative, which was introduced in June 2002, is a merit-based recognition scheme with three distinct categories, the brewery said.
Under the programme, SVBL provides up to five annual scholarships to the children of employees who sit the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) and achieve results in the top 25% nationally.
In addition, the top three students whose CPEA grades fall between 25-40% of national performance each year are eligible for a book grant.
Finally, casual employees can apply for a one-time bursary based on their child’s CPEA performance.
All the employees/parents expressed their students’ pride in being awarded their SVBL Academic Star status.
Marketing Analyst at the brewery, Cenica Patterson, whose daughter was awarded a scholarship this year expressed her appreciation, saying:
“We really appreciate the recognition and support from the brewery. The scholarship will assist in defraying the costs of school supplies and equipment this year,” Patterson said.