‘Don’t expect a lot of money @ first’ – Hon Walwyn tells TVET Graduands




The graduation took place in the Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium on the campus of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College in Paraquita Bay.
The graduates completed training in computer/office skills, culinary skills, air conditioning and refrigeration, house wiring and small engine repairs.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn urged the graduands to be persistent and dedicated and not to make the earning of money the priority but the acquisition of knowledge.
He told them that for now they may have to accept a fraction of what they think they deserve until such time that they gain the knowledge and experience making them more competent in their field of study wherein they can branch off into their own business.
“So graduands after the picture taking is done and perhaps dinner with your family this evening I encourage you to begin to look ahead if you have not already begun to do so. How can you further the knowledge and skills you have earned during your time in this programme?” he asked.
Hon Walwyn announced that Government will be moving ahead with the Virgin Islands Advance Skills Academy and this will represent the revolution of the current nine month programme that the students graduating yesterday would have completed.
No easy journey
The feature speaker for the event was Mr Dion K. Crabbe and he left the graduands with a special message of inspiration and hope, telling them that there is nothing stopping them from becoming the person they want to be or achieving the goals they set for themselves.
Keeping it real with the students, Mr Crabbe gave a glimpse of what he had to go through as a student overseas to complete his programme of study, telling them that it was by no means an easy task.
He told them that it was not an easy journey from whence he came to what he has achieved today and added that growing up he saw his parents make do with the little that they had. “I wore a lot of hand me downs too, and I don’t have an older brother.”
Crabbe also urged the graduands to seriously think of what they had to go through to get to this point where they were graduating and urged them to continue to be determined in what they set out to do despite the odds or the challenges.
Programmes to be tweaked based on feedback
Acting President of the HLSCC, Dr Bryan Penn said the areas that the students were graduating in are highly competitive and he asked them to keep in touch with the college to update them on their progress and for them to tweak programmes as necessary for future students.
He told them that with their new knowledge they may choose either to enter the world of work or further their studies in their chosen field.


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