Bermudian males better with technical skills than academic learning – Stowe
The majority of Bermudian males have a high technical aptitude which makes traditional education settings wrong for them, according to a technical education expert.
Michael Stowe, director of the Technical Skills Centre, said the problem isn't limited to a particular demographic as many people may think.
"We have a multitude of Bermudians — particularly young males — and not always black and not always in the public school system. I met with the principals of three private high schools and they concur that they have a similar problem — young males who don't have an interest or aptitude for academic studies or academic careers."
Mr. Stowe attended a technical school himself and said since the Bermuda Technical Institute closed, there has been a "terrific void".
"Males are very largely unfulfilled. The majority of Bermudian men have a very high technical aptitude. Whether it's fixing bikes or repairing maintenance issues around the house. They are unfulfilled in that they have a technical aptitude but have no way of developing it to a useful level."
Mr. Stowe explained he met with Magistrate Juan Wolffe to discuss the issues, based on what he sees in court, facing young men on the Island.
"I think what he described is very comparable to what I discovered [while the executive officer] at the National Training Board. More than 90 percent of males between the ages of 16 and 26 are very largely uneducated, unskilled, untrained and unemployable. At least 13,000 Bermudians have no qualifications at all. They either dropped out of high school or didn't attend."
Mr. Stowe also spoke on the gang issue plaguing the community.
"What we have is a situation where the issue of gangs is complicated [and] then they have no technical training. It's almost conclusive to show that a young man, despite his family circumstances, if he's trained, skilled and qualified [he won't] join gangs.
"So I believe that if we use the technical schools development we can help them overcome the gang culture issue. There are a number of people who came from difficult circumstances but they don't join gangs."
He continued: "If they're outside of the employment mainstream then chances are they're outside of the social mainstream and the economic mainstream. What we find is that students who are underperforming in schools are not in a state of education readiness.
"If they are not coping with the school work then they find some other relief situation.
"So we have to look back to the issues of what happened in the lives of these young people. What we find is that they are not properly being prepared."
Mr. Stowe's Technical Skills Centre is due to open September 8 with 14 students working to achieve their high school diplomas and enter a technical career.
New centre offers technical training and school diplomas
A new technical programme focused on young Bermudian males will open next month giving them a chance to achieve a high school diploma in the process.
The Technical Skills Centre is due to open on September 8.
Fourteen young men between the ages of 17 and 19 are enrolled, with all of them hoping to attain their high school diplomas and receive technical training.
Director Michael Stowe said he believes the programme will come to benefit many more.
"First of all it's helping them achieve a high school diploma," he explained. "This one here is particularly a technical high school diploma. No matter what subject matter, they're going to be doing as many as five studies in a technical area. The technical centre is not a school. This programme is not a school."
The programme enables students to have educational and technical opportunities as well as technical training in the classroom and in the industry through a partnership with Pennsylvania-based Penn Foster High School, Mr. Stowe explained.
"Students in the programme will do distance learning through Penn Foster High School within the programme. What this programme provides is directed assistance. We work with them to work through each area. Giving them directed assistance means the instructors will be in direct communication with us.
"I develop with them the ability to organise their time, to focus on a subject area. Traditional programmes don't work. That is the biggest hindrance to their self-esteem."
In order to ensure success, the programme utilises a "continuum of development" approach where each student will benefit from a case management method concerning their education and training."
Mr. Stowe stressed how unique the programme was. Each student receives an on-line instructor and counsellor and free equipment keeps the cost of tuition low, with fees approximately $500 each month. It is possible for students to graduate from the programme in less than a year.
"This programme moves at the pace of the student. There will be seven students to every facilitator. Students will be in the centre from 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Then from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m., they will be placed within the industry so that they can get the hands on training and experience. They will not be employed. They will not receive a wage. They will get a stipend, a minimum of $200 a week.
"In the training room we have two teachers at all times. Their lessons are submitted to Penn Foster by Internet and will be graded immediately.
"We have what we call slide on, slide off. A person can join this programme any day, any week, any month. It is a very flexible programme. We can take a person who comes through the door in the first week of September as much as we can take a person who comes the first week of November."
For more information on the Technical Skills Centre, call 295 0568.
