Twenty-two students graduate at Bartech

A lack of three meals per day, inadequate finances, and problems with child care were among the challenges that some trainees had to overcome in order to graduate from the Barrouallie Technical Institute (Bartech).

Orientation day, which was held on September 7, 2023 saw 62 trainees entering the Barrouallie Technical Institute. Last Friday, November 1, 2024 only 22 of those trainees graced the Barrouallie Evangelical Church stage in gowns and sashes to receive certificates and trophies from across several disciplines offered in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training programme.

These disciplines include: business administration; food and drinks service; food preparation; garment production; housekeeping; and masonry.

However, at the graduation ceremony, principal of Bartech, Roslyn Hazelwood-Francis said that this feat did not come without a fight.

“While all may have appeared to be well, these trainees faced numerous challenges, but in the face of adversity chose to persevere. For example, some did not let the lack of three meals per day, lack of finances, lack of adequate child care, or lack of support from family and friends deter them. They remained focused and stayed the course.”

During their training at the institution, Hazelwood-Francis said that the instructors considered it their obligation to encourage the trainees to take advantage of any opportunity for self-development.

“As a result, in November, 2023, twenty trainees participated in a one-week entrepreneurship training which was facilitated by the officers from The Centre for Enterprise Development (CED). In March 2024, to commemorate International Women’s Day, Soroptimist International SVG and San Fernando facilitated a virtual one-day session where our garment production trainees and home economics students were sensitized on finance management and budgeting.”

She also said that the ‘Sowing Empowerment through Entrepreneurial Development’ (SEED) programme funded the NVQ Agro- processing programme which offered a 13-week training to 19 adults during the months April to July this year.

“Through this SEED programme, our masonry trainees under the guidance of their instructor, Mr. Hazlewood, not only received quality training, but the institution benefited as they completed their assessments while working on a project to fence the agriculture plot which was often ravaged by stray animals.”

Hazelwood-Francis continued that in April, 2024, Renaldo Duncan, a student enrolled in the masonry programme, was afforded the opportunity to complete two weeks of internship at the Port Modernization Project.

“In May 2024, our trainees in the food preparation and cookery, and the food and drinks service programmes were engaged in two days of training in fish handling and marketing facilitated by officers from the Fisheries Division. They had the opportunity to learn the art of filleting fish, and make sea moss gel.”

Hazelwood-Francis added that in June 2024, the Ministry of Education’s Student Support Services also provided the trainees who are parents with an opportunity to improve their parenting skills.

She encouraged the graduates to take advantage of every opportunity to build on their current skills as the institution had already equipped them with the foundational technical skills, knowledge and attitude to prepare them for the world of work.

“You were also exposed to entrepreneurship training; it is now your time to use your skills, your creativity and your determination; think outside the box and use your skills to solve a problem, to meet a need, to build on what already exists. Commit yourselves to lifelong learning; upskill and re-skill as often as is necessary so that you remain relevant in a changing environment.”