Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/3293/-1/139/
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CLC Turns Out Many Successful Students
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Ninety-two students from the Comprehensive Learning Centre at North Hill graduated on Sunday, February 12, at a ceremony held at the Next Level upstairs the English Rose Restaurant in The Valley.
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L-R: Sandra York-Gumbs, Brent Davis, Ralph Hodge and Hon. Neil Rogers
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Chairman of the ceremony, Ralph Hodge, stressed the importance of education and encouraged parents and students to do everything possible to ensure that the entire community in Anguilla was properly educated.
Minister of Social Development, Evans Rogers, described the centre, owned and managed by Sandra York-Gumbs, as a step in the right direction and one that had the support of Government, and the community, for its provision of adult education. He observed that apart from academic education there was a need for training in information technology, vocational and technical skills to prepare the people of the island for the labour market.
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Section of invited guests
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“As Minister of Education, I am determined to help the adult community to be exposed to the type of classes that would be needed for this island to move forward,” he pledged. He pledged his support not only for the Comprehensive Learning Centre but other centres offering training programmes for adults. He commended Mrs. York-Gumbs and her staff and the students for their achievements.
The feature address was delivered by Brent Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Dream Makers Investment and Promotion and Consultancy Agency. He spoke on the theme Recognising the value of learning –a source for competitive advantage. Mr. Davis noted that other Caribbean nationals were taking some of the top and highest paying jobs on the island and urged Anguillians to educate themselves to take advantage of such opportunities.
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The Graduating Class: The storm is over
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“Educating one’s self to achieve personal development will lead to national development and competitiveness,” he asserted. “This is the only way that the residents of Anguilla will be empowered and true national development would be realised…The only way we will survive is through education. The time is now and is coming when we can no longer say that we can get a job because we born here. That doesn’t work anymore. We have to learn from the mistakes of our neighbours in St. Martin/St. Maarten and St. Thomas. It does not mean you have a divine right to a job because you born somewhere. You have to compete with people from everywhere.”
Mrs. York-Gumbs said the Comprehensive Learning Centre was now in its fifth year of operations and was of the view that it “had made a deliberate and positive impact on many lives in this small island.” She was grateful to the lecturers for their dedicated service and to the business community for its continuing support.
Her report showed that some 47 students had obtained passes in various CXC subjects such as Mathematics, English Language, Office Procedures, Social Studies, Principles of Business, Principles of Accounts and Information Technology. Another 45 students were presented with certificates for successfully completing various module-based programmes in such studies as communications for success, computer skills, conversational Spanish and French.
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Section of invited guests
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According to its mission statement, the Comprehensive Learning Centre is committed to providing quality learning experiences which will enhance the educational, social and economic needs of the learner and ultimately, the people of Anguilla.
During the graduation ceremony several students spoke in praise of the programmes of training at the centre.