CARIBBEAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Prepared by R. David Smith, Harvard University
Established in February 1999, The Caribbean
Institute of Technology is a partnership between the government of Jamaica (and
more specifically, Human Education and Resource Training (H.E.A.R.T.)), Furman
University, the University of the West Indies, the International Development
Consortium (IDC) in the UK, and India Global. The mission of CIT is to offer a
world-class computer programming education to Jamaican students, with the aim
of empowering these students and establishing a high-end technology sector to
help boost Jamaica's slumping economy.
In its first year of operation, 56 students
are currently attending CIT. In the 1999/2000 academic year, the Institute will
admit 105 students, and plans are in the making to create a second institute in
Kingston, which will in turn take on 150 students. It is the goal of CIT to
train several hundred students per year within a few years.
The Curriculum world. It offers the
students an in-depth education in computer programming, while at the same time
giving them the tools to adapt to the ever-shifting IT world." --Dr. Ken
Abernethy; Curriculum Director, CIT; Director, Furman's Rushing Center for
Advanced Technology.
The concept of the Caribbean Institute of
Technology (CIT) was created with two primary goals: 1) providing Jamaican
citizens high-quality training and education in software design and computer
programming, and 2) offering professional development education for Jamaican
information technology workers and managers. With its unique curriculum created
by a partnership between industry professionals from The University of the West
Indies, Furman University, and The University of Hertfordshire UK, CIT will
exceed these goals.
All training modules are designed to
provide extensive hands-on experience and conceptual foundations. The intent is
to train a world-class workforce. To do this, CIT provides not only training
but also the educational foundations that will allow graduates to grow with a
rapidly changing industry. Thus, the CIT curriculum has been designed to
balance both the practical and conceptual approaches.
The primary programming curriculum focuses
on:
Additional special programming curricula is
designed for:
World Wide Web programming with back-end
databases for Web commerce applications.
In addition to the programming training
center in Montego Bay, CIT has developed a workshop/seminar curriculum to provide
ongoing professional development for workers in the information technology
sector. These workshops and seminars will range from one-day to two-day events
and will be offered at a variety of sites within Jamaica.
Because the curriculum is so comprehensive
and of such high quality, students who pass the exit exam will be awarded a
diploma fully certified by the University of the West Indies, Furman
University, and Cambridge University in the UK. This Certificate will give
students international credibility.
The Students
CIT's students come from all parts of
Jamaica. All students are high school graduates, and many of them have had some
post-high school education. To attend CIT, students must pass a standard
reasoning exam based on logic and math as well as pass through a series of
interviews. It is the aim of CIT to admit willing and capable students, while
at the same time being open to students from all classes and locales. It is
CIT's goal to educate and empower hard-working Jamaicans, no matter the
background from which they come. The H.E.A.R.T. trust of Jamaica offers
students flexible loan packages, so all prospective students can attend.
Furthermore, the Jamaican government through H.E.A.R.T greatly subsidizes all
students' educations.
Through its strategic partnership with
India Global, CIT is able to guarantee all graduating students a job in
Jamaica. In fact, India has opened up shop near to the school and will hire
qualified graduates, offering them an average starting wage of about $US14,000
to 20,000 per annum. The per capita income in Jamaica is $1,500 per annum. Over
time, India will expand its operations, and with its success, other IT
companies will also come to Jamaica, offering further opportunities and growing
the domestic industry.
The IT Industry
In today's dynamic business environment,
decision-makers in the U.S. information technology industry must focus on
making their companies more productive and cost-effective in order to compete
in the ever-changing market place. Technology companies are expected to
accomplish this at a time when:
hardware and software technologies are
rapidly changing, software costs are
increasing,
information systems budgets are being
trimmed, and information systems'
budgets are being slashed.
Information Systems managers are trapped
between diminishing in-house human and financial resources, and burgeoning
software development needs. The response of many European and North American
companies has been to seek cheaper software development and maintenance
services from other parts of the world. The Caribbean, Latin America, the Far
East, Eastern Europe, South Africa, and South Asia are all possible sources of
these services.
The Need for Programmers
A number of research studies have revealed
there is an acute shortage of programmers in the U.S. and a large number of
vacancies in the IT industry. A study that was conducted and published by the
Information Technology Association of America last year shows a nationwide
shortage of 200,000 professionals to fill currently open IT positions. U.S.
Department of Labor Statistics indicates that there are approximately 2 million
people in the U.S. who would be classified as IT professionals, which means
that there are about 10% fewer people than there are positions for them. Based
on current trends, this number will continue to rise. The situation is similar
in other technologically developed countries. Major corporations will no doubt
look to offshore resources to help fill this acute need for the foreseeable
future.
CIT aims to tap into great business opportunities in the IT industry. Already, CIT and Indusa have contracted a $US1million project from Realm Technologies developing OEM software for Bay Networks, Netgear line of products. More multi-million dollar projects are in the makings right now! All these projects will be handled by CIT graduates with professional oversight by Indus Global. With the success of these projects, more IT companies will come to Jamaica, empowering Jamaican citizens and growing the local economy.