Hold onto your dreams, invest in yourself and take risks, were the encouraging words from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. K. Peter Turnquest during ‘Technical Education Awareness Week’ of Total Education Center on Thursday, May 17, 2018.
    
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that he has fond memories of Hawksbill, where the school is located, and added, “I know what it means to work hard, to watch people struggle, to watch people who really don’t have much but hope, who try to put together to support their children and those children, striving to do better.

“Hawksbill was the breeding ground for a lot of the success that we see in Grand Bahama today, particularly in the technical field. You go through Grand Bahama and indeed The Bahamas, you will find that a lot of the trades and technical people came through these types of programmes.”

Technical education is something that is missing with children today.

“Children are growing up with no purpose. They know they are going to school and they’re supposed to go to school and they’re supposed to do well. But, they have no idea what it is they are going to do after. Exposure to vocational trades gives children an opportunity to discover themselves, discover their talents and what they’re good at and as a result of discovering what they’re good at and their talents, they discover their purpose in live.

“For those who have discovered that, who’ve had that opportunity, they’re happy, more content people. They’re less angry, less dissatisfied with life because they are fulfilling their purpose.”

The programme, established at the school particularly for pre-tech education, he said, is one that should be commended and supported by the community. “Because you’re not just educating kids, you’re helping to shape the future of our country.”