(CNS Business): A new privately managed apprenticeship college has opened its doors in George Town with the goal of equipping young people with specific skills that can get them into the workplace. The Community Vocational Training Centre is the brainchild of Allan Moore and is funded primarily via private sector support as well as a grant from the premier’s Nation Building Fund. Currently offering training in electrical apprenticeship, air-conditioning training and plumbing, the new centre is training around 50 students, with the help of local companies offering job placement in the community.

“The CVT has partnered with established service providers, who will assist by way of offering job experience for the students. After successfully completing the course work and job experience, students will be eligible for full certification,” a spokesperson for the centre said in a release.

The training centre also has plans are to offer other short, specialty courses that will include preparation for wireman examination and the journeyman examination, truck driver and heavy equipment operator, OSHA safety course, front office procedures and customer service excellence, job interview preparation, career counselling, and even bar tending and disc jockey courses.

The centre had its official opening ceremony recently at the C & M Building in School Lane, when Premier McKeeva Bush offered his support via the Nation Building Fund. Bush spoke of the importance of skills training and told the students to work diligently and warned them to be aware of the company they kept, according to the release.

Mike Adam, the minister responsible for community affairs, also offered his support for a much needed community programme.

Moore listed several members from the community who have been involved in one way or another with the new training project.

“Well known community members, such as Dale Ramoon, Walling Whittaker, Renard Moxam, Rennie Barnes, Burns Rankin, Graham Rankin, Bradshaw Watson and others have all played a key role,” he said. “In every community there is work to be done, so let us all work together as a team, regardless of our religion, colour or nationality, to make our community a better and more prosperous place to live in, especially for our elders and our children, who are the future of the Cayman Islands,” Moore, added.

Lorna Bush, Administrator and Public Relations Officer at CVT, said it was already in need of more premises to set up satellite branches.

“Since our courses are all held in the evenings from 6pm to 9pm, we may be seeking out spaces in existing schools … where traditionally the classrooms are not occupied at that time,” she said.  “Cayman has plenty of buildings that are under-utilised after 5:00pm. We do not need more buildings; what we need is better utilization of what is already in place.”