Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 15, 2024 (SKNIS): The series of training for women in areas traditionally dominated by men continues on Saturday (March 16, 2024) with a session on the basics of welding.
Now entering its third week, the sessions organised by the Department of Gender Affairs, have been a hit with participants. Nikita Wallace of Boyd’s learnt about the training opportunities from social media and promptly signed up for all five sessions. She spoke highly about the experiences at the Women in Plumbing training on March 02 and the Women in Auto Mechanics session on March 09.
She described the plumbing workshop as very interesting, noting that she is thankful that she can now identify and fix common problems around the home, such as repairing a leaky faucet or changing a pipe. Ms. Wallace said that the Women in Auto Mechanics was “even more interesting”, equipping her with knowledge about the dashboard warning system, appropriate tyre pressure, how to check and change oil and more.
“I believe that women need to learn these kinds of skills so that we can help ourselves when necessary,” she explained, noting that she is registered for Saturday’s welding session and the remaining training in electricity and tiling.
Acting Director of the Department of Gender Affairs, Shinnel Charles, said that the feedback for the training has been overwhelming. This has prompted officials to explore hosting follow-up sessions later in the year.
The auto mechanic training was held at the TDC Automotive Division. Dominic Matthew, Client Relations and Marketing Assistant at the TDC Group of Companies expressed pleasure with the partnership between the company and the government for this initiative. He noted that the door is open for further collaborations on similar projects for civil servants or members of the public.
The Women in Welding training begins at 9 a.m. at the Advanced Vocational and Education Centre (AVEC).
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