It was a day of excitement and pride for the 25 students who successfully completed the Technical Vocational Apprenticeship Programme at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) as they participated in their graduation ceremony on Tuesday, July 8.

Six graduates received awards for outstanding work in different technical areas. They are Alex George (House Wiring);  Shakoi Matthias (Plumbing);Mario Matthew (Small Engine Mechanics); Akeem Durant  (Woodwork); Jansen Samuel (General Hotel & Restaurant Skills) and Crystal Frett (Office Skills/Computer Applications).

Speaking at the graduation ceremony Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Andrew Fahie told the graduates that their successes cannot be measured by how many chances they have had or which school they have attended.  “Your success must be measured by what you have done with the opportunities that you were presented with whether by present or past governments,” he said.

The Minister added, “I am of the firm opinion that as long as an individual or student makes up their minds to work hard to accomplish their goal of being educated, it is ultimately the level of work that that student puts in that would determine their academic success.”

President of HLSCC Dr. Michael O’Neal spoke about the importance of technical and vocational education in the global economy.  “Technical and vocational education serves in the long term to enhance productivity and it helps to sustain competitiveness in the global economy,” he said.

Dr. O’Neal also said that throughout the world, governments are increasingly recognising the importance of promoting technical and vocational education and training. 

Permanent Secretary Mrs. Sheila Brathwaite told the gathering that the graduates have learnt not only a skill but they have also learnt not to give up and to take full charge of the opportunities offered to them.  “Life is a struggle and only those who persevere will succeed.  You are now in a position to earn a better living because you have skills that will open doors for you,” she said.

“I hope that you will yearn for more knowledge and make arrangements to improve on the skills learnt at this institution,” Mrs. Brathwaite added.

Guest speaker Mr. Phillip Aspinal, owner of Tradewind Yachting Services Limited, encouraged the graduates not to waste time living someone else’s dreams and to continue to learn.  “Learning is not just a tool to bring you a better income.  Learning is an ongoing and never-ending process, which is designed to bring you a fuller and richer life to help you understand yourselves, the people, world and events around you,” he said.

Student respondent Sean Leonard urged his fellow graduates to take that first step towards the bright future ahead of them.  “We have achieved a milestone in our lives that can be the beginning of a rewarding future for us.  A future which can open the doors of opportunities and success for all of us once we continue to pursue our educational development which does not end here,” he said.

Each graduate received a certificate of completion.  Twenty-two students graduated from the programme in 2007. The Technical/Vocational Apprenticeship Programme, launched in October of 2006, is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Education and Culture and HLSCC.

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