Students display model building skills at technical college exhibition

Students of the SVG Community College Division of Technical and Vocational Education (DTVE) were recently given the opportunity to showcase their budding talent in architectural design and model building.

Last Wednesday, the 15 students enrolled on the Architecture and Building Construction programme participated in the model design exhibition (as a component of the Architectural Design {{more}}and Model Presentation module) – which was the first of its kind at the institution.

Programme coordinator and lecturer Joycelyn Lewis said that the exhibition was put on because the students had taken a lot of pride in their work, and produced excellent designs.

“We wanted to show everybody!” enthused Lewis, who has been teaching the Architecture and Building Construction programme for the past four years.

The students who took part in the exhibition are: Alyssa George, Iran Durrant, Tisheorn King, Jevorne Frederick, Javier Dickson, André McKenzie, Trevon David, George Kruger, Omar Cummings, Rasheed Rogers, Sauvez James, Josiah Rouse, Kedron Butler, Kadeem Alexander and Ansil Commissiong.

The programme coordinator further said that she hopes to make the exhibition an annual event, and eventually move it from being hosted at the DTVE to a larger platform where a greater number (and variety) of persons can view it.

“This is just a starter. We want to take all of the programmes down here… and have a bigger exhibition so the parents can really see what the students are doing… I want them to see that their money is not being wasted.”

Lewis added: “When we showcase their skills, then the industry can also see what they [the students] can do. It can open doors for them.”

She also said that although the programme has an internship segment attached to it, it is sometimes difficult to get students placed within the industry – as companies have become increasingly reticent to take them on.

“This should be part of their development… We want to be able to have students going out on more diverse attachments. We want students to get proper jobs… This is a start. Hopefully it can be developed into something much more.”

Kenroy Questelles, head of the Engineering Department, also heaped praises on the students who took part in the exhibition.

“This year we saw that they did some very good models, which we think that they need to be credited for, and we should share it with the public to encourage other students to aim for this sort of excellence.”

Questelles further said that he hopes these students, and others who enroll on this programme, can make a difference in the building industry.

“The models highlight a number of different designs and construction… Some of them even have provision for renewable energy. Now we are thinking a lot about incorporating ‘green’ building in the whole building curriculum, so that a student would not just design a building but they would design with energy efficiency and renewable energy in mind.”

The head of the Engineering Department commended not only the students for their output, but also the lecturers who teach the students.

“Within the department, we are trying to encourage this sort of creativity, and so they must really be commended for a job well done!”

Lewis further lamented the lack of women involved in the construction industry in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

“Females are not really attracted to construction because they think that it is hard work,” she explained.

“When people hear construction, all they can think of is working outside in the hot sun, but it’s not just that… There are so many fields within construction – so many different things you can do.” (JSV)