The Board of Industrial Training (BIT) has helped Bartica boy Kirt Lewis to become a breadwinner for his family.
A release from the Ministry of Labour said that Lewis’s father’s untimely death left him, his mother and sister apprehensive of what to do next, especially given the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was powerless and didn’t know what to do to help share my mother’s burden until Mr. (Joseph) Bharrat walked up and chatted with me,” he explained.
He stated that after COVID restrictions were relaxed, he was inspired to enroll in the BIT’s welding and fabrication programme.
Lewis said that once in the programme, he had great encouragement from his facilitator, Christopher Fiedtkou and classmates to push beyond his bounds.
“I was a bit upset when I found out that I had failed and would need to take my CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate) in 2023…However, after listening to my classmates, I realized that I needed to work harder at both school and training,” he said, according to the press release.
Lewis said that it was difficult, but he is grateful to have received his welding and fabrication certification.
His success did not end there, as he was able to obtain a part-time job with Fiedtkou’s business.
He expressed his gratitude to the government through BIT for providing him with the opportunity to learn a life skill that will now help him sustain his family.
He intends to begin working full-time as soon as he completes his secondary education.
