More summer skills success

THE NEW FORMAT that the summer skills programme of the Barbados Vocational Training Board has adopted has reaped success.Director Merna Jordan said they decided to increase the number of skills available for the summer programme after feedback from last year.“Last year we only shadowed one trade but the feedback implied the students wanted more so we allowed them to track four separate areas each this time around,” she said.Jordan, speaking after the closing ceremony on Friday in the C. Lomer Alleyne Centre, Sayes Court, Christ Church, said students chose from trades such as auto mechanics, welding, carpentry, construction, joinery and others and were only restricted by subjects with an age requirement.She said the programme was open to people aged 15 to 18 and all the secondary schools were invited to send representatives from their fourth and fifth forms. She said they also had a Barbados Community College student and a few participants who were not attending school.“We are very pleased with the results and we have a few students who have signed up for our [mainstream] skills training programme,” she said.Minister of Labour Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo told the participants to cultivate values such as teamwork, courtesy, responsibility and integrity.“It is not all about certificates. Certificates will get you in the door but what will allow advancement opportunities are the values you bring.“It’s not what you do when you think people are looking but about yourself. Whatever you choose to become, I challenge you to see what your values are and work always to be true to them,” she said. (CA)