Training centre applies for ‘green’ EU grant
(CNS): The private sector vocational training centre, Inspire Cayman Training, has applied for specialist European Union grants that will allow it to offer scholarships for around 260 local people to train as renewable energy technicians and dive instructors. ICT, working in partnership with Grand Cayman Eco Divers and GreenTech Solar, is hoping to cover the cost of training for these sustainable future jobs, according to a release.
ICT said it has applied for cash from the Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine Biodiversity Programme for Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories (RESEMBID), which was established before Brexit. This means that overseas territories can still apply.
The technical and vocational education and training (TVET) centre hopes that the renewable energy and dive instructor training programmes meet the criteria outlined by the grant programme.
If the application is successful, ICT will have the cash to train 40 accredited specialists in renewable energy and about 25 open water scuba instructors each year of the four-year grant period.
Working with GreenTech Solar, Caymanians will be trained in either Alternative Energy or Solar Photovoltaic NCCER accredited courses, preparing them for the jobs of the future. Solar energy will become and increasing part of local power supply in the coming years, as government aims to move from fossil fuel dependence and have renewables make up 70% of electricity generation by 2037.
ICT said its partnership with Eco Divers is focused on revitalizing a critical element of Caymanian workforce representation in the lucrative scuba tourism industry. Over the last year, as a result of this collaboration, two young Caymanians have qualified as PADI open water scuba instructors.
When the tourism industry rebounds, a lack of qualified dive instructors could create challenges for sector, but ICT and Eco Divers can train local people to be ready when this market returns, the release said.
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Category: Education, Local News
Totally irrelevant to the point above, be you right or wrong. Wrong as it happens imho.
This is great news however it shows the complete lack of interest by our government for not subsidizing these types of initiatives. Instead they continue to squander public money on failing entities and white elephant projects. Education is the last thing on their list, maybe even lower priority than the dump.
But I thought U.K. was pulling out of the EU? Are we not an Overseas Territory of the U.K.?
Yes, the sort of people who say “all lives matter” when they mean “white lives matter more” saw to that.
The UK will be paying for a number of years to the EU budget and therefore we have access to EU Funding for certain projects for a while. This was talked about in the media as ‘the divorce bill’.
I had understood the U.K. would no longer be paying into the EU budget as of January 1, 2021. That is what Boris said, but that was before the pandemic which has taken a huge toll on the U.K. economy and budget. Now we will want to have our cake and eat it too. What a mess we are in now.