Working in Jamaica while studying in the UK? Yes , you can!

Ever so often your private life and your public life collide – thankfully this time it’s for the better!

In July, I will attend my graduation at the University of Leicester, where I will be given my certificate acknowledging that I have completed a Masters of Business Administration programme. It is the culmination of almost 4 year of stops and starts, hair-pulling, sleepless nights and dogged persistence. I wouldn’t change the experience for the world.

One of my current projects is head  of the planning committee for a UK Higher Education and Skills Fair. They could not have found a more willing person to say that the UK offers educational opportunities that were second to none. The event will feature a number of Universities and training institutions who will be coming to Jamaica to share their offerings. In addition, a number of local schools and organizations who offer UK programmes will also be showcasing their programmes. The Fair will take place at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on March 3^rd from noon to 6pm. Attendance to the Fair is free, thanks to the support of the FCO’s Prosperity Fund, UKTI’s GREAT Fund and local corporate sponsors.

Doing my degree at a UK University was an educated (pun intended) decision. The educational opportunities at the tertiary level in Jamaica are quite good but having done my first degree at the excellent University of the West Indies, I felt it would be better to diversify my resume with international degree for my Masters degree. I researched a number of programmes, in many countries and with differing learning methods, costs and various rankings and decided to attend Leicester through distance learning. Distance learning allowed me to continue to earn while pursuing my degree and I could pace the programme to suit my needs.

I am looking forward to supporting and encouraging these potential students in choosing UK qualifications but also I am encouraging schools in Jamaica to look at this as an opportunity to take on additional programmes, to partner in research and  to explore consultancies to improve their earning potential.

I didn’t choose to take on an MBA, I was told I had to do it as a condition of a promotion (thank you Sheree Martin and NCB Jamaica) but I can honestly say that it was a wonderful experience and my time at Leicester was well-spent. If I had it to do over again, I would have liked to have attended school in the UK and had the total Uni experience and I now know how that could have been achieved. Did anyone say Doctorate? I too may be exploring my options at the Education Fair in March.