Gov’t asks for more scholarships aligned with SVG’s needs

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is seeking more scholarship opportunities in specific areas to meet the country’s developmental needs, says Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Senator Lavern King.

King spoke on the topic on Wednesday, during a press conference in Kingstown after an official visit to Taiwan as part of a delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister St. Clair Leacock.

“Of note, one of the discussions that we had whilst in Taiwan was concerning our students who are currently studying there, and how we could increase the number of scholarship opportunities for our Vincentian people,” Kings said.

She said the delegation discussed the fact that SVG has a shortage of pharmacologists.

“And we know this because every week in cabinet, Major, as minister with responsibility for immigration, we have had to be approving lots of work permits and visas for persons to come to our country for this specific job task,” she said, referring to Leacock.

She said that the issue was also raised during a consultation that the government held with the private sector in Kingstown earlier this year.

“… and as a consequence, it was one of the things that was high on our priority list in asking for more scholarships to fit that because as a government, one of the things we have been doing is conducting an audit into what our country needs now, what it needs in the next 5, 10 years,” King said.

She said the government is taking “a pragmatic and strategic approach” to the distribution of scholarships over the next couple of years, so as to ensure that we are providing opportunities for what the country needs for its best functioning”.

She said discussions were held in Taiwan about more scholarships “in the innovation and digital transformation sphere of things.

“We recognise that at this time we are currently undertaking a major project in the Ministry of Digital Transformation, and so we held lots of discussions about best practices,” said King, referring to another of her portfolios.

The senator said that Taiwan is a world leader in semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

“And so, we had fruitful discussions about how we could form partnerships about this. In addition to that, we recognise that one of the difficulties we’re facing is in so much as … scholarships are being provided to our nationals, there seems to be a worrying trend at this time, as it relates to their returning home.

“We recognise that scholarships offered to Vincentian nationals are an investment in them, and we had a very upfront and frank discussion with MOFA — the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about encouraging our students to come back home.

“And when we met with the Vincentians in Taiwan, it was one of the strong messages that we sent and spoke very candidly about.”

King said that one of the discussions was how Kingstown, through the development bank that it proposes to set up, could seek to get more funding to help Vincentian graduates to set up businesses in SVG.

“So, we have gone about in trying to connect dots across different ways. When people leave to go and study that they’re studying in areas that the country needs, and if it’s a matter of coming back, we know sometimes job security is a concern,” King said.

“So, one of the things that we sought to do is figure out how could we make it more attractive to get Vincentians to come back home.”

King said that the delegation had “a series of discussions as it relates to scholarship” regarding increasing the numbers and getting more funding through entrepreneurship to attract back home after they graduate.

“… because we recognise that when we make this investment in offering them the scholarships, we need those resources to come back home,” King said.

“It’s the only way that we could develop as a country, because it’s counterproductive for them to get this investment of a scholarship and not return for us to get the benefits of it.”

Asked whether a push for pharmacology courses would affect the other scholarships offered or whether the government was looking to bond students, King said:

“Advocating for one doesn’t mean excluding another. In fact, the context in which I spoke was about the expansion of the number of scholarships, and so it is more recognition of where we need added personnel.”

She said the issue was not restricted to pharmacology, adding, “… one of the things that you have found is in the past, people just apply for every and anything.

“And what you find is that in the relevant departments, you have priority areas of study, and one of the things we’re going to be doing more is holding more discipline as it relates to the scholarship areas of study that are awarded.”

The senator said this is specifically because the country needs to ensure that it gets what it needs “so that it could achieve its developmental goals.

“For example, if you have 10 scholarships, it wouldn’t make much sense to give eight of them in one subject area when you need a diverse, different field,” King said.

“So, advocating for more scholarships for pharmacology doesn’t mean cutting back in other areas. It is just a call for an increase. So, if we used to get 150, we want to see 160 now.”

Commenting on the issue, Leacock, who is also Minister of National Security and Immigration, said that in SVG, and probably in neighbouring the is “professional raiding taking place by our richer brothers in the north “would not call any particular country would offer to pay for a met officer, for example, the same amount, but in US dollars.”

Leacock said the situation is leading to “a fair degree of attrition in some key areas”, adding that as regards pharmacists, for example, “it’s always going to be the case that people may want to pay them more to walk in other pastures.

“And so, we have to constantly be preparing ourselves that these are real possibilities, that you will keep losing people as more attractive options present themselves.”

The deputy prime minister said this is why the New Democratic Party government says it has to raise the base of wages and salaries, wages and general working conditions, and motivation to keep SVG’s best-trained minds at home.

“That’s a real management challenge. We are doing that, with our eyes wide open.”