Government invests $5.6 billion in tertiary education
Government wants to ensure that university graduates get jobs when they enter the job market, Tertiary Education Minister Fazal Karim jassaid. “We must not contribute to the graduate glut. It contributes to discouraged graduates. I am focused on the employment rate and we will continue to support this,” he said at the ceremonial opening of the newly renovated Canada South Hall at University of the West Indies (UWI) St Augustine Campus last Friday.
Work on Canada South Hall started in July 2011 and the cost of the entire project was $16.2 million. Karim said infrastructure works on the campus will continue and will contribute to the the development of the country and region.
“This hall has therefore contributed significantly to the intellectual and human resource capital of our country, something we should be grateful to the people of Canada for. The Government of T&T is also happy to contribute to the development of the UWI, St Augustine Campus through investing in its physical infrastructure,” he said. He said there will additional infrastructure for education in the country as Government has allocated $12 million for the Chaguanas Open Campus which is due to be commissioned next May.
Karim said investment in tertiary education from fiscal year 2009/2010 until 2014 is $5.6 billion with $761 million allocated to GATE.