KINGSTON, March 8 (JIS):

            Eight persons have been selected as Jamaica House Fellows and were officially pinned by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, today (March 8).

They are Jerome Cowans, Lavois Cruikshank, Christopher Graham, Karelle Samuda, Andrae Shawn Silburn, Aubrey Stewart, Mark Tracey and Sherona Forrester.

            Prime Minister Holness hailed the awardees, who were selected following a rigorous process that started in June 2016.

“We have to build a society of excellence. You represent the best of who applied, and your résumés are all very impressive. So, whatever you do in Government and in life, you will represent this principle of excellence,” he said at the official launch of the programme at the Office of the Prime Minister.

Mr. Holness, who announced the Jamaica House Fellowship in his 2016 Budget Debate presentation, said the programme is one in a series of initiatives to promote a system of meritocracy and develop a sense of personal involvement by youth in the leadership of the society.

“I think I owe it to the generations coming that we find a way to bring in the best and the brightest into Government, because, ultimately, you want to create a public service that represents the best of Jamaica, which is the training ground of excellence, and that is the society of merit,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the awardees have expertise in a range of areas, such as Management, Politics, Governance, Economics and Law, and will be placed in entities across the public sector, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Economic Growth Council (EGC).

The Fellows will meet on a regular basis, create reports to be reviewed and will have personal interaction with the Prime Minister, the Portfolio Ministers and senior personnel in Government. They will be required to achieve key performance indicators on special projects to which they will be assigned.

The Jamaica House Fellowship programme has the strategic objective of encouraging the practical involvement of young people in the governance and policy decision-making processes at the highest levels of Government.

It offers exceptionally talented and motivated young Jamaicans the opportunity to work on, support and implement high-priority initiatives and objectives.

The Fellowship programme will run for two years for each cohort.

Deputy Chair of the EGC, Ambassador Dr. Nigel Clarke, said the Jamaica House Fellowship is an ongoing initiative that aims to generate a supply of leaders who have a first-hand understanding of the challenges faced by Government and the decisions that must be made.

CONTACT: DENISE DENNIS