Thirty-three students graduated from the Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School (AW&HWAES) at the institute’s 21st graduation ceremony on Tuesday.
The ceremony was held at the National Cultural Centre on Homestretch Avenue.
Christopher Halley, 21, of South Ruimveldt, was named the best graduating student of 2019. Halley, who graduated with six distinctions, said that his success was well-deserved because he worked “very hard” to be where he is presently. He revealed that he worked two jobs, one during the day and one during the night, to pay for the course but managed to balance time between studying and working. He acknowledged that his success would not have been possible if it weren’t for his parents emotional and financial support.
Ezra Joe, the runner-up student, graduated with five distinctions. Other graduates of note included, Shakeil Adams, Naipaul Aniroud, Brian Anthony, Akeem Arthur, Colin Berkley and Azizi Innis.
The 33 students were awarded certificates and prizes for their achievements. According to the institute’s General Manager, Nalini Chanderban, 21 of those students applied for their Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Licence and nine including Halley and Ezra were given their licence at the ceremony. First and second year students were also awarded certificates for successfully completing their respective years. Further, the General Manager noted that on November 22 this year, the Guyana National Accreditation Council of the Ministry of Education awarded the institution a certificate for Institutional Accreditation. She explained that the institute is now on par with international qualifications, and graduates coming out of the institute with an associate degree in aircraft maintenance and engineering would have their qualifications recognised should they choose to work overseas.
The feature address was given by the Director General of the GCAA, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret’d) Egbert Field, who applauded the parents of the graduates, saying that despite the fact that the courses are expensive, that did not deter them from helping their children achieve their goals. He then addressed the graduates saying that he understood how hard the past few years have been for them and their families, who sacrificed tremendously to ensure that they continue their education even though some students benefitted from scholarships or grants.
During his brief remarks, Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma, told students that there will be free education from Nursery to University and that the institution can be classified as a tertiary institute so therefore the free education policy will benefit the AW&HWAES. This was met by loud applause from both students and parents. He added that while there is no immediate plan, there were a number of ways the government can make education free at the institute. The government is currently in caretaker mode pending general elections on March 2, 2020.
According to the institution’s press release, “the Ab-initio Training Programme offered by the institute is a Level 6 – Associates degree, this along with its approved training for an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Licence, now bridges the gap between [the] air transport certificate and that of higher education with an associate degree.”
