Deputy Education Officer – Secondary for Region 10, Jennifer Bourne on Wednesday told 94 students who were on work/study attachment in Linden during the August holidays that education is the only way forward.
Speaking at a simple graduation and certification exercise held in the students’ honour on Wednesday, Bourne said this year’s exercise was not without its challenges since there were not enough places for the number of students eligible for the programme in Region 10. Students this year were accommodated by 22 entities including the Linden Hospital Complex, Guyana Revenue Authority, National Insurance Scheme, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, National Communication Network, Linden Utility Services Co-op Society Ltd and the Linden Mayor and Town Council.
Smaller businesses also accommodated students, including Kay’s Klassy Snackette, Clarke’s Mechanic Shop, Demerara Bakery, LeGasp Productions, Sommerset’s photo studio and Linden Online. Kwakwani Utility Incorporated was the lone entity outside Linden that accommodated students.
Like previous years the work/study attachments were done in two phases – from June 22 to July 24 and July 27 to August 28.
The feature address was delivered by Headmistress of the Mackenzie High School Cheryl McDonald. In her brief speech she said “Work experiences beef up your resume while they allow you to come into contact with people that may be vital to your success.”
She also noted the lack of a work ethic in today’s society. “Important practices to hold onto are time management which you would have learnt when you would have arrived late for work; effective communication skills which would have been applied when you had to explain your lateness and critical thinking skills when you had to find a way to fit eight hours work in seven or six hours,” she said.
Students said that experience was worthwhile but expressed the sentiment that while some of them are ready for the world of work, the world has no work for them.
One student said that because of financial constraints she cannot further her education at this time. “I have to get a job to finance my education further but it is so sad that there are no available jobs for me at this time.” She added that she was hoping that she would have been able to secure a place at the entity where she was attached but the possibility does not exist at this time.
Becoming an entrepreneur, she said “is such a wonderful idea. But the banks would give me a royal runaround because I am so young and have no assets, and I am hearing now that the LEAF project which would have been the perfect thing for me has not been giving loans for the longest while.”
Many of her peers said they would be returning to school, taking evening classes and moving on to the University of Guyana. A few students said they are likely to secure jobs where they were attached.
