BDF donates equipment to SJPI

Thanks to a $30,000 donation of engine parts for a Caterpillar Marine 3208 and supplies, students in the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology’s (SJPI) Automotive and Welding Department will get the opportunity to sharpen their skills.

The donation from the Barbados Coast Guard (the maritime division of the Barbados Defence Force) was presented to SJPI Principal, Ian Drakes and other staff members during a recent ceremony at the Wildey institution.

According to Divisional Officer for Engineering Lieutenant (Coast Guard), Jerome Belle, the donation is in keeping with the BDF’s mandate to assist in youth development by investing in the ambitions and careers of the students.

Lieutenant Belle says the BDF and the SJPI boast a positive and productive relationship which spans over 20 years. It has seen the annual training of students enrolled in the Diploma in Marine Diesel Engineering and the Diploma in Maritime Operations programmes at the Barbados Coast Guard, with 10 second-year students currently registered for the exchange training.

Meanwhile Mr. Drakes thanked the Coast Guard for investing in the island’s youth.

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