Eight Antiguans and Barbudans are set to depart for the United Kingdom next Sunday as the 2026 King's Foundation Building Craft Program officially gets underway, with local organisers describing the initiative as one with lasting, generational significance.
According to Antigua Observer, the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS) has made clear that the program represents far more than a single cohort of participants. The college held an Opening Ceremony to mark the start of the program, signalling its commitment to the long-term development goals the initiative is designed to support.
ABCAS views the King's Foundation Building Craft Program as a vehicle for meaningful, sustained impact — one that extends beyond the individuals currently selected to travel abroad for training. The program connects Antiguan and Barbudan participants with craft and building skills development opportunities in the United Kingdom under the King's Foundation framework.
The departure of the eight participants next Sunday marks a concrete step forward in what ABCAS hopes will become an enduring pipeline of skilled tradespeople for Antigua and Barbuda. Officials see the program as an investment not only in the current participants, but in the broader workforce and built environment of the twin-island nation for years to come.
