The month of September usually means goodbye to summer and hello to a new school year.
This September, the St. Vincent Brewery limited recognized the academic excellence of
children whose parents are valued employees of the organization. The company honored its
22-year-old commitment by assisting 9 eligible students with scholarships, book allowances
and bursaries as part of its internal “Academic Award Scheme”. This annual initiative
supports the company’s commitment to education and its workforce.
In launching the 2024 program Country Manager Shafia London stressed that “For us at St.
Vincent Brewery we see education as vital for our community. Our employees are the
heartbeats of our operation, and we are committed to supporting the growth and
development of our employees and their children. Academic excellence opens unlimited
possibilities. It is against that background that we are pleased to roll-out this annual program
to encourage and assist the children of our employees to commit and excel in their
secondary school studies”.
Cheraz Sutherland, People Coordinator at the brewery added, “The objective of our
Academic Award Scheme is to provide financial assistance to permanent employees of St.
Vincent Brewery Limited regarding the education of their children at the secondary school
level. We are thrilled to support the academic achievements of these talented students, at
St. Vincent Brewery Limited, we believe in giving back to our employees and investing in their
family’s future through education.
Introduced in June 2002, The St. Vincent Brewery Limited (SVBL) Academic Award Scheme is
a merit-based recognition scheme with three distinct categories. Under the program, SVBLprovides up to five (5) annual scholarships to the children of employees who sit the
Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) and achieve results in the top 25% nationally. In
addition, the top three (3) students whose CPEA grades fall between 25-40% of national
performance each year are eligible for a book grant. Finally, casual employees can also apply
for a one-time bursary based on their child’s CPEA performance.
All the employees/parents expressed their students’ pride in being awarded their SVBL Academic
Star status. Cenica Patterson, Marketing analyst at the brewery whose daughter was
awarded a scholarship this year expressed her appreciation. “We really appreciate the
recognition and support from the Brewery. The scholarship will assist in defraying the costs
of school supplies and equipment this year”.
Six (6) five-year scholarships worth $8,000 each, two (2) book allowances at $500 and one
(1) bursary of $500 were awarded for the academic year beginning September 2024.