The Tribune

THE development of future civil engineers, a critical sector of the country’s economy, has received a boost with the announcement of a collaboration between the Bahamas Society of Engineers (BSE) and the corporate sector.

BHM, formerly Bahamas Hot Mix, and the BSE have established a scholarship fund at the College of The Bahamas (COB) for civil engineering technology students.

The College recently received a donation that will fund a scholarship of $3,000 every two years for a full-time, undergraduate major pursuing the Associate of Science in Civil Engineering Technology programme. There will also be an opportunity for the scholarship recipients to intern with BHM.

Ebbe Saidi, Managing Director of BHM, is convinced that initiating this scholarship fund was necessary in order to encourage more Bahamians to pursue a civil engineering profession.

“Civil engineering is about developing the environment. A lot of that type of industry is on the way in the Bahamas. Firms from all over the world are here and we felt that Bahamians need to enter the industry and take possession of the industry,” Mr Saidi said during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the company and the society.

Recipients of the scholarship will be students enrolled in the ASc. programme in the School of Mathematics, Physics and Technology at COB who demonstrate financial need.

Solidifying partnerships with entities that believe in the transformative power of higher education is a priority for the College, as is generating more scholarship opportunities for students to earn their academic degrees. The BSE has been a keen supporter of that goal.

DeCosta Bethel, the BSE President, encouraged more engineering firms to fund scholarships at the College to increase the participation of Bahamians in the sector.

“Whatever higher education is available there will be a need for scholarships, because there will always be students that have the academic skills but don’t have the funding ... with regard to scholarships there would need to be various firms that are interested, in say, electrical or mechanical or production (engineering) to come forward with funding to hopefully induce more students into these various vocations,” he said.

Dr Carlton Watson, Dean of the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences at COB, was appreciative of the investment made by BHM and the BSE.

“As the College accelerates its mission of driving national development, it is critical that we prepare the appropriate work force to develop a modern, prosperous and peaceful Bahamas,” he said. “Engineering disciplines, in particular civil engineering, is central to this development.”