Author: Division of Education, Skills and Innovation

SUCCESS STORY Dwight Hall Electrical Engineer B.Eng. (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology (EEET)  My journey to earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering significantly impacted my life and so shaped my perspective, that I consider it to be my best learning experience thus far. The lessons learned were priceless and they played an important role in who I am today. YEAR ONE – The Certificate My journey commenced on September 1, 2013, when I left Tobago to attend the Automated Technology College (ATC) in Trinidad. The College was located in San Fernando and I had very limited knowledge of Trinidad and its environs. However, I was determined to pursue an education in Electrical and Electronic Technology and so I was not deterred. At the time, I did not have a clear plan of how I would execute my goal, nor was I fully conscious of the meticulous financial planning that would be required. All I knew was that I had what I thought was enough money saved, I wanted to enrol at ATC and the programme was GATE funded. For everything else, I freestyled. I was very reluctant to rent a shared apartment, although this would have been more cost-effective and I travelled to college via taxi because my commute was from Curepe to San Fernando, which was a considerable distance and my classes started at 8:45 a.m. After three months into my first year and paying for my registration along with my exam fees, I evaluated my savings and was devastated at the findings. This is how I learned to do critical evaluation, sacrifice, financial discipline and better decision making based on the resources available. I realized that my consumption of food and spending habits needed to be readjusted otherwise I would only make it through seventy-five percent of the study program. Even though it was convenient to travel by taxi because they were always available (on most days), the fare was twice the cost of traveling on the public bus. However, the buses were unreliable as they were never on time. Nevertheless, due to the lower cost, there were days that I would walk to the bus route from my apartment and take a bus instead of a taxi. One month after I did my evaluation, I started seeking various means of financial assistance, so that I could make it through the entire study program. Although I was making a sacrifice and cutting back on many things, I found that the cost of eating and staying healthy to effectively function in the classroom was still very expensive. The reality was that, despite all the cutbacks, if I did not access financial assistance, I would not be able to complete the Course. I would possibly make it through to ninety percent of my studies but no more. While I was seeking financial assistance, I kept focused on my tasks ahead so that I can be successful in my studies. It was hard but manageable, so I kept praying. I subsequently found out about financial assistance being offered by the Tobago House of Assembly from the Department of Advanced Training and Advisory Services (DATAS). I therefore applied, trusted in the process and was eventually provided with the financial support I requested. I was able to successfully complete my studies in Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology with distinction and was awarded a Certificate. At that juncture, I questioned myself: What is next? Where do I go from here? Pursuing a Diploma seemed feasible but I did not have the finances to take me through the Diploma year. Given that I had the blueprint for surviving on a low budget and was already familiar with living in Trinidad, to make my dream a reality, I decided to work and study. YEAR TWO – The Diploma My Diploma year was a replica of the first but more refined. I worked while pursuing my studies and bought a food steamer, which made preparing my meals easier. I refrained from eating out, as food was one of the highest expenses. To avoid the exorbitant taxi fares, on mornings, I woke up at 6:00 a.m. and walked to the bus route to travel on the 7:45 a.m. bus, which travelled from the University of the West Indies (UWI), to San Fernando. The trade-off was my grades. They took a hit in the end because of the work and study dynamic but I was grateful that I did not fail my Course. In retrospect, trying to balance work and studies prove to be an extremely difficult period. There were even times where this required commutation between the two islands. For example, there were times that I boarded the slow ferry which departed Trinidad at 11:00 p.m. and arrived in Tobago the next morning, in order to work on a construction site or to teach water sports there. I then took the ferry back when done. In the end, it was worth it, as I obtained my Diploma (which consisted of three courses) with a distinction, merit and a pass. Shortly thereafter though, the same question surfaced. I found myself once again confronted with the thought of: What next? Where do I go from here? To help me determine the next step, I consulted with my Lecturer at ATC Mrs. Sangeeta Ramlal and she recommended that I pursue a Higher National Diploma (HND) at the School of Business and Computer Science (SBCS). This was a two-and-a-half-year program, which, based on the final grade, qualified the participant to be admitted into the final year of a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Greenwich. Pursuing this programme would have required better financial planning and so I decided to take a one year break. During this time, I was able to work and accumulate my savings, plan and search for an apartment close to the school and seek early financial assistance, to avoid some of the challenges I had encountered over the past two years.   YEAR

WRITTEN TESTIMONIAL Mechell Andrews Project Management MBA Business Administration Though my monthly earnings were significantly less than my bills, I was still glad to be in receipt of a stable income from my full time job to assist with my mortgage, along with periodic revenues from my business. However, given that my business was affiliated to the tourism sector, during the pandemic, it was adversely affected, making it even more difficult to pay my bills. As a result of this, I was compelled to make some changes to maintain my standard of living and to keep my property. One day, while reflecting on all that had transpired and thinking of what to do to solve my problem, I recalled that at my full time job, I enjoyed working on projects. Then and there, I decided, that    I would focus on this career path. Keeping this objective in mind, at my job, I began to gather as much knowledge as possible. I already knew what the Division was about generally and its comprising units. I therefore started to learn more about the different desks, which, although it did not speak to what I loved, prove to be an awesome experience. I also began to be more diligent and intentional about learning and inquiring about projects within my Department and the more I learned, the more I became interested in pursuing project management as a  career, although it was a late start for me. Though apprehensive, I remained resolute in my decision and I completed short courses at Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business. My breakthrough came in 2020 though, when I learned about the program dedicated to tertiary level students, through the Department of Advanced Training and Advisory Services (DATAS). In my quest to attain funding to further my tertiary education, I initially submitted a letter of interest directly to Mr. Kelvin Charles, the then Secretary of Education at the Tobago House of Assembly. However, in response, he redirected me to DATAS and advised that I submit an application there. I learned that DATAS assists persons who may have difficulty in covering the financial costs of their tertiary level programs. It was therefore the perfect opportunity for me to move forward with my project management goals and I decided to apply for financial assistance. I immediately acquired the necessary forms and sourced the documents to be attached with the application. This included writing an essay, obtaining a medical report and getting the accreditation document. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the limitations it posed, I encountered some difficulties to obtain the accreditation certificate for the school of my choice, as calls to their office went unanswered for many days. I was eventually able to make contact with a representative though. Admittedly, filling out the financial aspect of the form was tedious. However, I am grateful that someone was able to assist me with it. In retrospect, it’s amazing how everything aligned perfectly through this entire process. At the beginning of my studies, I was admittedly a bit confused in certain areas. I have come to realize that one could never really be fully prepared for the journey involved in pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), regardless of what advice is given beforehand. I had to really focus and work even harder than I had imagined I would need to, even re-sitting two of my modules to ensure that I gave them the best effort. Today, my heart is filled with gratitude for God’s guidance in my pursuit of tertiary level education. I couldn’t have done it without him. After all the late-night studies and assignments, I am pleased to report that I successfully completed the MBA, specializing in Supply Chain/Project Management. Despite the limitations of the global pandemic, I was able to keep up with studying online. I learnt a great deal and had the opportunity to research and follow instructions, especially where modern technology is concerned. The School’s website provided all the information that was needed to ensure a smooth sailing in relation to class attendance, assignment submission and Lecturer/Staff interaction. Overall, pursuing my Master’s was a great experience for me, as I networked with other entrepreneurs and business gurus. I enjoyed studying, researching and even sharing ideas with classmates. This served to expand my knowledge base, which in turn helped me gain more confidence in my workplace and business. Having successfully completed this program and obtained the experience, I would say that one has to be focused in life and determined to overcome the obstacles that may present themselves while on the journey. I also highly recommend DATAS, to those who are seeking financial assistance in the area of tertiary education. Thank You DATAS. My advice to persons seeking specifically to pursue a MBA is to aim high and be prepared for the unexpected. Push and seek divine guidance. The modules can be demanding, lecturers and fellow students may be challenging at times but keep working until you reach the finish line. It is worth it. MORE STORIES