- SVGCC Director disclose plans to double enrollment by 2027
Close to seven hundred students graduated from the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC) on Tuesday June 25, as the school held its 15th annual Amalgamated Graduation Ceremony at the Victoria Park.
Speaking to a large crowd in attendance, Director of the SVGCC Mr. Nigel Scott said the College continues to serve the needs of over two thousand students. Additionally, through several initiatives, Scott said, plans are in gear to double the intake at the college by 2027.
He identified two key strategic initiatives to fuel the projected increase in student enrollment. These include new programmes on all four campuses, and the creation of a Center for General and Continuing Education in effective January 2024.
Scott indicated that the initiatives would forge stronger ties between the SVGCC and the community. He said the College is ensuring that people from all ages and all walks of life can access a college education in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The SVGCC Director said students continue to do well at the college, while noting that sixty four (64) students receiving national scholarships bursaries and exhibition from the goverment in 2023 for outstanding performances in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exam (CAPE) and associate degree programmes.
He also made note of the fact that several students also receive scholarships from the Republic of China (Taiwan) and tuition scholarships from the government to enable them to pursue further studies.
Scott further pointed out that efforts are being intensified to restructure the college to make it more responsive to the needs of the country, not only by expanding its programme offerings but by fully activating its business plan to meet the needs of the students and staff.
Scott said the SVGCC continues to engage regional and international partners. He also noted that efforts are underway to reactivate a Memorandum of Understanding with the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad. Also, he said the College will continue to work with the Central Georgia Technical College and the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the UWI, Cave Hill Campus to build the Health Sciences Faculty.
Meanwhile, the Division of Teacher Education continues to explore other programmes with the joint board of Teacher Education at the UWI Cave Hill Campus, according to Director Scott. He added that as part of efforts to enhance the student completion rate, more deliberate academic advising sessions were introduced in 2023 with plans to further develop that process in 2024.
The SVGCC Graduation exercise was held under the theme “Class of 2024: Create Your Legacy”, reflecting the spirit of innovation and leadership that the College strives to instill in its students.
