MEET MRS. HANNAWAY
Pearlette Primus-Hannaway hails from the coastal town of Barrouallie located on the northwestern side of mainland St. Vincent. She is the Principal of the Barrouallie Technical Institute (BTI) and has been at the helm of that institution for the last nine years. Principal Hannaway is married and is the mother of a 21-year-old daughter.
With the support of her staff, she has been instrumental in launching several initiatives to aid the general welfare of trainees. During the period of the SkYE programme one such initiative was the establishment of a childcare holding facility on the BTI campus.
OVERCOMING A KEY CHALLENGE
When we asked Mrs. Hannaway about challenges experienced at BTI, she had this to say. “The 2021/2022 school year at BTI commenced with a myriad of challenges. Apart from the fact that a few trainees were choosing to discontinue the training in order to seek employment, we also realized that the high rate of absenteeism was due to young mothers being unable to secure affordable childcare. They opted therefore to skip training to care for their children.”
She explained that while they were able to accommodate these trainees by using online instructions, it posed a problem for practical sessions. The decision was therefore taken to allow them to bring their child/children to school. This initiative was successful in reducing the rate of absenteeism. However, it was not the ideal situation as teachers and peers had to take turns at babysitting which was a distraction.
Mrs. Hannaway and the BTI team took additional measures to curb the initial challenges that the childcare service presented. “We resorted to engaging a babysitter on site, trained in early Childhood Education and who is also a past student.” The principal noted that parents are now making use of this service on a daily basis. The ages of the children range from 6 months to 4 years.
IMPROVED LEARNING
The idea to provide daycare facilities at BTI has thus far, yielded positive results. Mrs. Hannaway said, “This arrangement coupled with the transportation stipend from SkYE has helped with retaining trainees in the various programs by providing a reliable and convenient childcare facility.”
Because of this initiative the principal explained that the institution is now getting a greater level of participation from the trainees. The mothers can stay on for longer hours knowing that their children are safe and accessible because their children are looked after on site. “It is an affordable and important service which would not be possible elsewhere. It offers emotional security and relieves stress on the part of the parents and instructors. Additionally, it provides the teenaged mothers with relevant information on how to take care of their babies.”
At BTI a total of 50 trainees are currently enrolled in five SkYE supported programmes. Ninety percent of these trainees are females. The principal has been instrumental in showcasing the accomplishments of past and present trainees on social media to boost their morale and their entrepreneurial skills.
Principal Hannaway has articulated a vision for the BTI babysitting facility to have it upgraded. “Our long-term goal is to see the eventual expansion of this arrangement where the babysitter is remunerated fairly, and the facility equipped so that training in Early Childhood Education at the CVQ level can also be offered at BTI.”
FACTS
Skills for Youth Employment (SkYE) is a four-year, UKaid funded programme to provide certified skills training for 6,000 disadvantaged young people, including those challenged by disability, in four Eastern Caribbean countries: Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent & the Grenadines. The Programme will develop a more productive and inclusive workforce in sectors with good economic growth potential.
SkYE is supporting national training authorities and training providers to make systemic improvements to the development, delivery and quality assurance of technical, vocational education and training (TVET) in the four focus islands through targeted capacity building.
