12 CIFEC Students graduate as Certified Health Care Aides

(CIFEC) Health Care Aide Pinning & Certification Ceremony

Twelve young ladies from the Cayman Islands Further Education Centre received their Health Care Aide certification on July 25, 2019. CIFEC has been in partnership from 2010 with the Health Services Authority (HSA) to offer this program. The students who are enrolled in the BTEC Health & Social Care course also do a twelve week training program with the HSA which enables them to become certified Health Care Aides. The students completed eight weeks of theory lessons taught by a certified nurse and four weeks practicum at the George Town hospital where they practiced the skills learnt.

Dr. Hazel Brown, Chief Nursing Officer stated that she no longer looks outside of this program for Health Care Aides. Mrs. Carol Sue Ryan, retired Public health nursefrom Cayman Brac was the instructor for this year. She has taken the course to a new level by having students trained in fire safety. CIFEC was privileged to have her work with these young ladies as she not only served as an instructor, but also a mentor.

At the certification ceremony held on July 25, 2019 the students were all pinned in addition to receiving their certificates. Nurse Ryan encouraged the students to always put God first in all that they do. The students receiving their Health Care Aide Certification were: Victoria Carmola, Ericka Dixon, Aliceanna Ebanks-Romero, Shakeilia Ebanks, Brianna Kerr, Brittannia Liking, Krystal Morales-Ebanks, Zayda Rankine, Aleek Rose, Shadai Solomon, Ornella Thomas and Vivian Worrell.

CIFEC Director, Mrs. Delores Thompson, says “It is exciting to be able to train students to fill this role at the HSA. CIFEC is looking for other partnerships where the school can train students to take up roles in the workforce.” CIFEC also offers an apprenticeship program with PWD, and this past school year a successful pilot programme in watersports was offered. The programme will now be added to the cadre of apprenticeships offered by the school These programmes prepare students for the workplace and provide them with opportunities for higher learning. At the end of the academic year seven students from CIFEC received scholarships from Rotary to attend UCCI.