PCE Starts Scholarships for SEED Students

Martha Cecilia Jaramillo, PCE SEED Coordinator, helped design a scholarship program for SEED students.

Here in the PCE (Peru Colombia Ecuador) GeoMarket, we are going beyond the work we do through SEED to help students in our communities. Early in 2007, Jaime Barriga, our PCE (Peru Colombia Ecuador) GeoMarket manager at the time, wanted to provide the opportunity for underprivileged students at SEED schools to pursue advanced studies after graduation.

I drafted a proposal for a pilot program that grants scholarships to qualified students to study at an approved technical college. We selected a small SEED school in the town of Yondo, Colombia, near the Schlumberger base, to provide continuity to what SEED had already done there. The project was approved and a budget was allocated locally for three scholarships.

The scholarships cover five semesters and registration fees, full tuition, and a monthly amount to cover accommodation, food, local transport, books and material expenses. The students get medical insurance for basic health coverage through the college.

Surprisingly, we had nearly 50 applications! Maria del Pilar Yunda, the PCE recruiting manager, and I designed and managed a selection process that included a series of tests, interviews and activities over two days to choose the candidates. We selected two girls and one boy, all 17-18 years old. They started the program in January 2007, with the requirement to keep us informed of their progress. During the first year, the boy and one girl did not pass and had to leave the program.

The remaining young woman is really committed and enthusiastic. If everything goes well, perhaps she will be interested in applying to work in Schlumberger when she finishes. I consider the program a success because we have been able to offer opportunities for growth that have helped at least one student. We are evaluating the program and if we continue it, we may expand to another PCE country.

—Martha Cecilia Jaramillo
    PCE Training and Communications Manager
    SEED Coordinator – Colombia

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