I write in response to your Letter of the Day of April 21, 'Prejudice stymies Cuban engineering graduates' and the article on April 19 'Serious shortage of civil engineers'. I applaud persons like Shaven Hendricks who seek know-ledge wherever it is available, with the desire of being able to contribute to Jamaica's development.

However, while Hendricks pointed out that no mention was made of graduates from Cuba, equally so, no mention was made of graduates who studied in the United States, Canada, Europe (including the Eastern bloc) and Asia and who are working in Jamaica.

The University of the West Indies (UWI) (Trinidad & Tobago campus) was pointed out because, as a development strategy, UWI's mission is to aim at giving priority to, and meeting, regional critical needs. The UWI is our asset and is a resource that is mandated to produce graduates who will directly link into our development as a nation and a region. Further, the point is being made on the basis that Jamaica is not reaping that benefit as a result of the dwindling numbers.

Accreditation

Nonetheless, I take the opportunity to further underscore the point in The Sunday Gleaner article and share with you that yearly, on average, the Jamaica Institute of Engineers (JIE) accepts 25 civil engineers into membership using criteria based on local and international accreditation.

The JIE also estimates that there are 170 persons practising as registered engineers (i.e. registered with the Professional Engineers Registration Board) and an equal number practising in related fields. However, we cannot ignore that the number of new graduates are on the decline and that these numbers are woefully inadequate for a country of 2.7 million people, which needs engineers to service a bauxite industry, public works, private sector, regulatory agencies and academia.

Also, one has to consider the state of the country. As a country, we continue to pursue much-needed infrastructure development. We also continue, in a state of limited funds, to battle the task of maintaining this infrastructure. Success at doing these things cannot be conceived without proper planning, implementation and recurrent inspection. No discipline is better suited to execute these functions than that of the civil engineer.

Requisite technical expertise

Much of the failure of infrastructure we see today is blamed on climate change, inadequate financing, poor design, corruption and the list goes on. We must put into the argument now that the failure to apply the requisite technical expertise at all levels of the project development cycle leads to gaps and these gaps lead to failure. Whether through borrowed funds, grants or government revenue, Jamaica cannot afford not to get value for money on investment in infrastructure.

The JIE sees our responsibility to advocate and make the nation aware of any matter that strikes at the heart of any shortcoming in our field. We trust that this opens up a dialogue that will lead all stakeholders to unite with the JIE around this cause, and the many other facets we advocate yearly. This, we believe, will lead us on a path to the betterment of Jamaica, and the Caribbean region.

I am, etc.,

OMAR SWEENEY

Jamaica Institution of Engineers

jie@cwjamaica.com