Community colleges across the island will now be offering a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work.

This will be done under a five-year agreement between The Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ) and The Jamaica Theological Seminary (JTS).

Representatives of the entities signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate the arrangement, during a function at the JTS’ campus on Constant Spring Road this week.

The Westmoreland Campus of the Montego Bay Community College will be the first institution to offer the accredited degree programme.

Currently, 156 students are enrolled in the programme, which will commence in January 2016.

Speaking in an interview with JIS News, President of the JTS, Reverend Dr. Garnett Roper, states that the students, who were previously only able to do an Associate Degree, will now be able to upgrade their qualifications.

The Bachelor in Social Work is among four degree programmes offered by the JTS that are accredited by the University Council of Jamaica.

Under the specifications of the MOU, the institutions will share joint information including the articulation of accredited programmes, joint associate and bachelor’s degree programmes, collaborative research projects and technology initiatives, income generating projects, staff development and training, electives and continuing education programmes, joint publications, among other things.