I am pleased to join the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. Lt. Col. David Burch in highlighting the success of Marcal Wilkinson and Hezekiah Rampersad.

These two young men as Minister Burch indicated were among 40 other persons who attended an information session in 2018 about power engineering. They will be attending Cambrian College of Applied Arts & Technology to study for an Advanced Diploma in Power Engineering Technology (PWTY).

These are the kind of success stories that the Ministry of Labour, Community Affairs and Sports and government must champion. Our joint partnership with Public Works for this specific training programme was initiated last year in an effort to address the division’s future employee needs.

Natural attrition and the competition for employees in the local and global marketplace led the Management of the Tynes Bay Waste to Energy Facility to look at their training projections and their need for Power Engineers at their facility. During an information session that was hosted in 2018, we invited individuals to come and learn about power engineering and related fields.

Once we had shortlisted the candidates, the Department of Workforce Development then engaged the Cambrian College of Applied Arts & Technology, which has a highly sought after engineering programme. The school’s curriculum is endorsed by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) a standard accepted for Power Engineers working in Canada and Bermuda.

This same programme will help these young men to maximize their career opportunities by preparing them to challenge the various TSSA examinations after each year level. Ultimately, the aim is to prepare them for supervisory and management roles in power plants and other industrial settings.

As has been demonstrated by highlighting the achievements of Marcal and Hezekiah – this Government remains heavily vested in developing Bermuda’s youth. And we are pleased that we are able to support their growth in this way. As I close, I should note that Hezekiah participated in our Summer Employment Programme a couple of years ago. We view our Summer Internship Programme and our Summer Employment Programme as excellent opportunities for our young people to build experience in their respective areas of study. As a result, our students are better equipped to make more informed choices about their future studies and career path. So congratulations to you both.

Lastly, I must extend my thanks to those who have helped make our training and development initiatives a success. Special thanks of course to the individuals at the Department of Workforce Development, including Mr. Kenneth Bartram, for continuing to go above and beyond to help young Bermudians. We will continue to provide our young people with career support and guidance.

Thank you.