Through a Provincial Government investment of $50,000, 25 adult learners are each receiving the Successful Post-Secondary Transition Scholarship Award, valued at $2,000. The scholarships are a clear indication of the Williams Government commitment to promoting post-secondary education and helping people gain long-term, meaningful employment. The scholarships have been awarded to graduates of Adult Basic Education (ABE) or Comprehensive Arts and Science College Transition (CAS) programs, or the General Educational Development (GED) test.

The Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Education, congratulated the inaugural winners. "By continuing on with their education, these students will have the skills to contribute to their communities and help our province grow," said Minister Burke. "Returning to school can be a daunting prospect and I commend each scholarship recipient on choosing to pursue post-secondary education."

Applications for the new scholarships were available to eligible ABE, GED or CAS students who have graduated since September 2005 and are enrolled in their first year of a full-time undergraduate program of eight months or longer. Recipients were chosen based on academic excellence and the quality of a written submission. They are now enrolled in programs such as Business Management, Practical Nursing, Pharmacy Technician and Petroleum Engineering Technician.

Minister Burke noted that the scholarships build on a series of Provincial Government initiatives designed to support adult learning and encourage more individuals to pursue post-secondary education and training.

Since 2004, $23.4 million has been allocated for literacy-related initiatives, including an additional $1.2 million to expand ABE Level I at the College of the North Atlantic, expand the CAS program at a cost of $650,000, and provide $450,000 in adult literacy grants to community-based organizations. In addition, the Provincial Government has invested $25.6 million since 2005 to freeze tuition rates at the College of the North Atlantic and Memorial University and $14.4 million last year to introduce up-front-needs-based grants, and reduce interest rates on student loans.

"All these measures open up post-secondary programming to more students. They make education and training more affordable and more accessible," said Minister Burke. "An educated population is key to our future growth and prosperity, both as individuals and as a province overall. It is therefore our responsibility to provide every educational opportunity within our means to ensure success. That�s what these scholarships are all about."

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Photo #1: The Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Education, presents a cheque for $2,000 to Bernadette Penney of Three Rock Cove. Ms. Penney is one of 25 post-secondary students to receive the Successful Post-Secondary Transition Scholarship.

Photo #2: The Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Education, presents a cheque for $2,000 to Holly-Lynn Williams of Happy Valley-Goose Bay for the Successful Post-Secondary Transition Scholarship. Ms. Williams is one of 25 recipients of the new scholarship.

Media contact:
Jacquelyn Howard
Director of Communications
Department of Education
709-729-0048, 689-2624
jacquelynhoward@gov.nl.ca

Successful Post-Secondary Transition Scholarship Award Winners:

Melanie Brown (Happy Valley-Goose Bay) Automotive Technician
Judy Burden (St. Lunaire-Griquet) Office Administration-Executive
Jennifer Cullen (Labrador City) Mining Technician
Christopher Downey (Grand Bank) Petroleum Engineering Technology
Barbara Feltham (Glovertown) Civil Engineering Technology
Geraldine Glover (Wareham) Business Management � Human Resources
Bernice Hickman (Marystown) Pharmacy Technician
Tracey House (Marystown) Pharmacy Technician
Patricia Hynes (Paradise) Business Management � Human Resources
Tracy Jerrett (Grand Falls-Windsor) Office Administration � Medical
Nicole King (Flower�s Cove) Office Administration
Krista Korner (St. John�s) Business Management - Accounting
William McGrath (Conception Bay South) Plumbing
Shilo Miles (Marystown) Office Administration
Vonda Noel (Happy Valley-Goose Bay) Millwright-Industrial Mechanic
Bernadette Penney (Three Rock Cove) Hospitality Tourism
Ruby Ryan (Grand Falls-Windsor) Business Management - Accounting
Joyce Smith (Blaketown) Administration Technology
Lee Andrew Smith (South Branch) Welder/Metal Fabricator
Melissa Smith (St. John�s) Office Administration Technology
Maxine Spurrell (Horwood) Speech Language Pathology Assistant
Sharon Tarrant (Lawn) Pharmacy Technician
Margaret Taylor (LaPoile) Office Administration
Victoria Traverse (St. John�s) Practical Nursing (CNS)
Holly-Lynn Williams (Happy Valley-Goose Bay) Community Studies

2008 04 11                                                 2:40 p.m.