UTech, Jamaica and e-Learning Jamaica Co. Ltd. Partner to Certify first Cohort of Data Protection Officers in the Education Sector

Newly minted Data Protection Officers within the education sector display their certificates of completion following an awards ceremony held at the University of Technology, Jamaica, Papine Campus on Friday, December 1, 2023. The university through its Faculty of Engineering and Computing in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Youth, through e-Learning Jamaica Company Ltd. facilitated the course design and training of the Data Protection Officers between October 9 and 25, 2023 to meet the requirements of the new Data Protection Act.

Celebrating with the Education Officers (front row from left) are UTech, Jamaica officers, Miss Marion Brown, Vice President and University Registrar, Mr. Aldrick McNab, Deputy Chair, University Council, Dr. Kevin Brown, President, along with Mrs.Terry-Ann Thomas Gayle, Chief Education Officer, Ministry of Education and Youth, Honourable Fayval Williams, Minister of Education and Youth and Mr. Andrew Lee, Chief Executive Officer, e-Learning Jamaica Co. Ltd.

With over 100 secondary school educators from each region across Jamaica now certified as Data Protection Officers, Jamaica is further ahead in its thrust to ensure compliance with the new Data Protection Act 2020 which took effect on Friday, December 1, 2023.  

Coinciding with the date of effect for the Act, was an awards ceremony for educators who successfully completed a three-week training programme delivered by University of Technology, Jamaica’s Faculty of Engineering and Computing in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Youth through e-Learning Jamaica Co. Ltd. The ceremony was held at the Shared Facilities Building, UTech, Ja. Papine Campus.   

President, University of Technology, Jamaica, Dr. Kevin Brown in his welcome, noted that “UTech, Jamaica is pleased to have led the initiative to train over 100 Data Protection Officers under the national data protection implementation training programme for schools.”  Dr. Brown noted that, “The Ministry came to the right place to find the right expertise for the design and implementation of the training curriculum which was provided by knowledgeable faculty and staff within our Faculty of Engineering and Computing.” 

The President also stated that “UTech, Jamaica’s facilitation of this training programme for an important area of national life, is in alignment with the university’s mission.” He added that the institution “continues to stand ready to lend expertise and practical training on such future initiatives.” 

Professor Sean Thorpe, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Computing, University of Technology, Jamaica presents an overview of the Data Protection training course to the gathering at the awards function.

Sharing details on the scope of the programme, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Computing, Professor Sean Thorpe noted that the training course dealt with the fundamentals of data protection as well as principles related to the new Data Protection Act and considerations for treating with data locally and internationally.   

According to Prof. Thorpe the training consisted of “several case studies pertinent to schools.” This, he explained, was to ensure that the content remained relevant and relatable to the trainees, education stakeholders and in keeping with the implementation of the Act in educational institutions. He indicated that there were other aspects of the training such as Data Protection Policy by Design and Data Protection Impact Assessment which respectively looked at the regulatory framework in organizations to safeguard individuals’ personal identifiable data and potential issues that could lead to breaches. 

Honourable Fayval Williams, Minister of Education and Youth congratulates UTech, Jamaica and E-Learning for its collaborative efforts which led to the training of Jamaica’s first batch of Data Protection Officers in the education sector who received their certification on Friday, December 1, 2023, during an official awards function at the university’s Papine Campus.

Minister of Education and Youth, Honourable Fayval Williams thanked UTech, Jamaica and E-Learning for collaborating on the training programme.  “I want to thank E-Learning…I want to thank UTech for this collaboration, for ensuring that the education sector is out ahead of everybody else in terms of ensuring that we will be ready when the act comes into being.”   

Describing the training as “significant” Minister Williams also noted that the education sector has an equally important role to play in data protection given the vast amount of data collected in schools from students.  Highlighting that schools collect information from students to include “their names, their addresses, their parents’ name, their age, their immunization records, their grades…all kinds of personal data” the Minister noted, “we need for it to be protected and for our citizens in Jamaica to begin to think of the valuableness of their personal data.”  

Minister Williams indicated that “The Data Protection Act calls for the office of the Information Commissioner to be set up with persons in it that will ensure all entities are abiding by the legislation. All entities that collect private personal data will be known as data controllers.  They have to put in their entities, systems that will enable them to know who is accessing your data. They have to be able to respond to you if you ask them to see who what data they have on you or about you and they have to do it within a certain timeframe.  The training of all of you as Data Protection Officers is a part of that,” the Minister explained.  She further noted that while the Act is now in force, the  Prime Minister announced a grace period of six additional months to allow “for companies, entities to get themselves together” in terms of being compliant.

Mr. Andrew Lee, Chief Executive Officer, e-Learning Jamaica congratulated educators on the successful completion of their training as Data Protection Officers.  

Chief Executive Officer, e-Learning Jamaica, Mr. Andrew Lee in congratulating the Data Protection Officers noted that “there is a lot more work that we will be doing in collaboration with UTech to ensure that more persons are trained in data protection, and everything related to cyber security and privacy.” He told the educators, “Data protection is not merely a legal obligation.  It is a moral imperative to safeguard the data that has been entrusted to us within our educational institutions. Mr. Lee also reiterated his company's commitment to building technical capacity through the use of technology in schools. 

Photo Highlights

Engaged in a reflective conversation following the Data Protection Awrads Ceremony for Educators,  (from l-r) are Terry-Ann Thomas Gayle, Chief Education Officer, Ministry of Education and Youth, Honourable Fayval Williams, Minister of Education and Youth, Mr. Andrew Lee, Chief Executive Officer, e-Learning Jamaica, Professor Sean Thorpe, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Computing, University of Technology, Jamaica and Dr. Kevin Brown, President, University of Technology, Jamaica.

Honourable Fayval Williams (left), Minister of Education and Youth presents Miss Shankie Williams with her certificate in Data Protection during the awards function.

Mr. Daniel Sinclair, collects his certificate in Data Protection from Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams during the awards ceremony.

Contact:

Michelle Beckford   

Corporate Communications Manager  

University of Technology, Jamaica  

Telephone: (876) 818-5893   

Email: mbeckford@utech.edu.jm