Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 10, 2013 (SKNIS): The Advanced Vocational Education Centre (AVEC) has harnessed the talents of its students to produce cabinets not only to enhance their skills but to enhance the lives of the staff and residents of the Cardin Home.
During a handing over ceremony at the Cardin Home on Thursday (May 09), Director of AVEC Clyde Christopher noted that although AVEC is a training institution, the students instruction should not be confined to the walls of AVEC but rather they can hone their craft while helping others in the community.
“Yes we are a training institution but we cannot train in isolation,” said Mr. Christopher. “We can’t just train within the four walls of AVEC. We need to get our students exposed to real world situations.”
Mr. Christopher added that AVEC also strives to change the perception of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) within the Federation.
“We have been entrusted with a particular mandate that is to train, develop and get people certified so that they can contribute to further economic development,” Mr. Christopher noted. “The Government has been investing significantly in the development aspect of AVEC in terms of equipment and infrastructure. So the institution is on its way to achieve the kind of recognition that is required. We at AVEC must ensure that whatever we get involved in is geared toward the development of our country.”
The project was made possible with the help of the Caribbean Credit Card Corporation.
Representative of the company Janielle Frank noted that Four Cs made a commitment to the Cardin Home several years ago to seek ways to enhance the lives of the residents of the Home and the efficiency of the staff in recognition of the value of the institution and out of a desire to give back to the elders who have contributed to the society over the years.
“The demonstration of this commitment has taken various forms,” stated Ms. Frank. “However when we heard of AVEC’s vision of launching a project that would be of benefit to the institution, we immediately jumped on board recognising the inherent value of the initiative. Not only did the project cater to the physical needs of the institution but the project will also be a means by which the students could further develop their skills.”
Ms. Frank expressed the company’s delight with the results of the partnership. She explained that the quality of work produced was “exceptional” and would serve the Cardin Home well over the years to come.