The Jamaica Institution of Engineers (JIE) has launched its annual Engineers Week 2025 at the Summit in New Kingston under the theme “Engineering Innovation: Building a Sustainable Future for Jamaica.” 

The week of activities, which runs until September 21, will spotlight engineering excellence and innovation while reinforcing the urgent national goal of positioning Jamaica as the ‘STEM Island’.

This year’s launch strongly echoed a call made last year by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who in August 2024 emphasised the need to rapidly scale up Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. At that time, the Prime Minister announced government plans to construct six new STEM-focused schools under a special scheme of management to prepare Jamaica’s next generation for the high-growth, high-productivity jobs of the future.

“If Jamaica is to move from being a low-wage, low-productivity economy into a high-wage, high-growth, high-productivity economy, investing in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is critical. We must be generating every year, to our industries, the skills needed to take up the jobs that will come in the next 20 and 30 years,” Holness said in his August 2024 remarks.

Dr Kevin Brown, president of the University of Technology (UTech), echoed this vision in his keynote address, stressing the need to repair the STEM foundation at the secondary level.

“If Jamaica truly aspires to be the STEM island, we must first fix the foundation. Too many of our technical high schools still operate with decades-old equipment and under-resourced labs, yet we expect world-class results. STEM education is not just about producing engineers; it is about building the human capital that will power our economy and secure our future,” Brown said.

Colin Porter, P.E., president of the JIE, welcomed participants and described Engineers Week as more than a celebration, but a driver of national progress: “Our theme this year is not just aspirational—it is a call to action. Engineers stand at the centre of sustainable development, but we cannot do it alone. The transformation to a STEM island requires strong collaboration between JIE, government, academia, and the private sector. Together, we must ensure our young people are equipped with the skills to compete globally and to innovate locally.”

In his remarks, Glaister Ricketts, Chairperson of the Professional Engineers Registration Board (PERB), highlighted recent collaborations with JIE to strengthen professional standards and secure international recognition for Jamaican engineers.

“At PERB, we see collaboration as the bridge to opportunity. From mentorship to international reciprocity agreements, we are working to ensure Jamaican engineers can compete and excel on the global stage. Engineers Week is proof of what we can achieve when we partner across sectors, and it reminds us that building a sustainable future for Jamaica requires all hands on deck,” Ricketts noted.

The week will feature technical sessions on infrastructure, energy, and mega-project execution, along with mentorship forums and exhibitions showcasing local innovations. A highlight will be the expanded student competition, now welcoming high school participants for the first time—further embedding the pipeline approach to STEM development.

By linking the government’s announced investments in STEM schools with JIE’s professional and academic initiatives, Engineers Week 2025 aims to accelerate Jamaica’s transition into a hub for innovation, productivity, and sustainable growth.