Dec. 30, 2005 – Twenty-eight residents of St. Croix recently completed training in industrial crafts through the Hovensa industrial craft-training program. They were issued certificates during a ceremony held Dec. 14 in the auditorium of the St. Croix Educational Complex.
The following persons completed training in pipefitting: Elwin Challenger, Guilbert Charles, Llanval Crooke, Winsbert Jagrup, Jason Lutz, Herman Mc Kenzie, Kevin Parris, Gerard St. Rose and Kery Thomas.
Nineteen persons completed training in carpentry. They are Tyrone Ambrose, Darius Benjamin, Catherine Canton, Sonia Charles, Ernest Cyrille, Denis Daniel, Akeem Davis, Greg Encarnacion, Michael Gentius, Hector Gordon, Bobby Harvey, Lorna Henderson, Ijahna Jacobs, Valerie James-Laurent, Bevon Joseph, Laura Nolasco, Ali Taha, Mark Vitalis, and Ovan Willie.
In remarks made during the ceremony, Noreen Michael, commissioner of education, said she was pleased to see so many persons participating in the program. She commended the graduates and encouraged them to seek employment locally so that they can give back to the community some of what they had learned. She encouraged those who were still in training to set goals and work hard on achieving them.
The program is funded by Hovensa and administered by Pinnacle Services at the St. Croix Vocational School in cooperation with the Departments of Education and Labor
During the graduation ceremony, special recognition and awards were given to several persons, including four persons who were recognized for perfect attendance. This achievement was significant because most of the students maintained full time employment during their training. Bevon Joseph was recognized for not missing a single class held from 6 to 9 p.m. four nights each week.
The guest speaker was Pamela Fagan, Hovensa director of Human Resources and Legal. In her address, she spoke of the positive attitude that today's employers are looking for in their employees and the importance of individuals training and working safely.
In addition to courses in Pipefitting and Carpentry, the program provides training for certification in the crafts of millwright, instrumentation technician, boiler making, electrical maintenance, and welding. The program is accredited by the National Center for Construction Education and Research. All persons who successfully complete the training are issued a certificate, which is recognized nationally in the construction and maintenance industry.