Jamaica Launches Graduate Training Program in Radiation Protection and Safety, Poised to Become a Regional Center of Excellence in the Caribbean

Jamaica's newly established graduate training program in radiation protection and safety is being viewed as an important platform for enhancing nuclear technology safety capabilities in the Caribbean region. Chris Ardouin, an International Atomic Energy Agency expert and Senior Scientist and Technical Manager of Public Health and Forensic Science at the National Radiation Science Centre of New Zealand, stated that the program demonstrates Jamaica's potential to become a regional center of excellence for radiation protection and safety training.

The six-month program, implemented as the first graduate education course in radiation protection and safety under the framework of the University of the West Indies' short-term academic resources, is currently training 12 professionals from seven CARICOM member states, with a focus on enhancing regional capabilities in radiation protection, safety management, and emergency preparedness.

At a related exchange event held on August 20, Ardouin stated that Jamaica has laid a solid foundation for cultivating radiation safety professionals for the Caribbean region. He believes that the country already possesses strong professional expertise and knowledge reserves that can support the training of the next generation of radiation protection personnel.

According to reports, there is a global shortage of radiation protection professionals, with the aging of the workforce becoming increasingly prominent, and the demand for training a new generation of health physicists, medical physicists, and radiation protection specialists is rising. As the application of radiation technology continues to expand in medicine, industry, research, and education, and as external interest grows in technologies such as nuclear energy and small modular reactors, the importance of workforce development has become even more pronounced.

This course emphasizes the development of practical skills. Among its modules, the radiation emergency preparedness and response module introduces participants to the relevant international standards established by the International Atomic Energy Agency, helping them acquire skills in radiation-related hazard assessment, emergency plan development, and the implementation of protective measures for workers, emergency responders, and the public.

Ardouin stated that the key to the program's long-term effectiveness lies in sustainable operation. The course adopts a "train-the-trainer" model, with local university personnel participating as observers and learners to progressively enhance local teaching and technical capabilities, reducing future dependence on overseas instructors.

He also noted that the program implemented in Jamaica has attracted attention beyond the Caribbean region. The Pacific island region faces similar challenges in radiation safety workforce development, and the Jamaican model can serve as a reference for relevant regions.

The program is funded by the International Atomic Energy Agency and implemented jointly through the Hazardous Substances Regulatory Authority, the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences at the University of the West Indies, and multiple local, regional, and international partners. As the first cohort of participants approaches completion of their training, the program has already demonstrated initial prospects for strengthening radiation safety capacity building in the Caribbean region.