Cave Hill Secures $500,000 Deal to Train Belizean Nurses

The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus has secured a regional partnership with the Government of Belize to support the training of nurses, in a move expected to strengthen healthcare capacity while generating economic benefits for Barbados.

Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Clive Landis, announced the $500,000 contract during a recent Campus Council meeting, describing the initiative as both timely and impactful.

He explained that the agreement enables the campus to “fulfill an important development need for the region by helping to train specialist nurses in a key priority area”.

Professor Landis also highlighted the wider economic impact of the programme, noting that it would benefit not only the university but the country as a whole. “It’s generating income not just for us, but for Barbados as well, because when the Belizean students come here for a year or 18 months, they are effectively long-stay visitors who will be utilising goods and services within the country,” he said.

The agreement includes the training of 15 Belizean students in the Master of Science in Nursing (MScN) (Administration) programme. Six students, who began the programme in January 2026, have been completing their coursework online to date. An additional nine students are expected to commence in August 2026, bringing the total cohort to 15.

All students will complete the programme over two years on a part-time basis, using a hybrid format that combines online learning with in-person engagement.

The new arrangement builds on the success of a 2022 initiative, which saw 14 registered nurses from Barbados complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Paediatric Nursing. That cohort, all of whom graduated with distinctions, set a high standard and helped to spark increased regional interest in specialised nursing training.

Professor Landis noted that the continued demand reflects the growing need for advanced nursing expertise across the Caribbean and beyond.