On October 8, St. John Bosco Vocational Training Centre held its annual graduation ceremony under the theme “Building Together: Where hands-on training meets tomorrow’s industry”. Teachers, parents and loved ones watched as the Class of 2025 closed this chapter of their lives while looking ahead to what’s next.
27 graduates were awarded onstage with certifications in Commercial Food Preparation and Culinary Arts; Barbering/Hairdressing; Butchery; Crop Production; and Nail Care Management. Apart from these students, 70 farm workers (sourced by the Central Jamaica Social Development Initiative (CJSDI)), who completed St. John Bosco’s 5-week summer Crop Production/Customer Service course received certificates of completion and 69 received Customer Service trade certifications from the HEART NSTA/Trust. It should be noted that not everyone who completed their training and received certifications was able to attend the graduation.
The school’s two valedictorians, Oneila Smith and Samarah Buckle, gave a moving speech about how far they and their fellow classmates have come; after which, the event’s guest speaker Mr. Michael Gottshalk gave an inspirational talk to graduates. Graduates were then awarded with their trade certifications as well as a number of special awards. The event was a testament to the fact that, throughout their time at St. John Bosco, each student put in the dedication and effort needed to expand their skillset and earn much deserved professional certifications.
Several of our students from this cohort have already secured gainful employment in their trades, while others have engaged in short-term work-experience internships at companies which partner with the school. None of this would be possible without the support of committed partners such as the HEART NSTA/Trust and the Local Engagement and Action Fund (LEAF) – a local development initiative funded by Global Affairs Canada – both of which have since continued to sustain our programmes with new cohorts of students.
We are proud of these hard working men and women and look forward to seeing what they accomplish with these hard-earned skills and qualifications going forward.
