Vocational Training Transformed My Life for the Better

Twenty-eight-year-old Yadimir Torres took to construction work ten years ago after dropping out of college because his parents were unable to afford his tuition. His mother then suggested that he enroll at the Tubal Trade and Vocational Institute to learn a trade. His willingness to sign up and complete the electrical course changed the trajectory of his life and the lives of those employed by him. In tonight’s installment of Belize on Reel we take a look at how vocational training transformed this young man’s life. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Twenty-eight-year-old Yadimir Torres owns and manages Torres Electrical and Air Conditioning in Guinea Grass Village. He has been running his own electrical business for the past seven years. At eighteen years old, working construction, Torres took up his mother’s advice to learn a trade at the Tubal Trade and Vocational Institute.

 

Yadimir Torres, Owner, Torres Electrical and Air Conditioning

“Before I entered Tubal I was going to six form. My mother and father sent me to six form and they couldn’t afford to finish paying tuition. It was kind of difficult for us because it was nine of us.”

 

Left without a choice, Torres dropped out of sixth form and found a job working construction. It was the only field of work he could find with a high school diploma. His mother called him while he was laboring in the heat of the day and suggested that he sign up with the Tubal Trade and Vocational Institute.

 

Yadimir Torres

“It was nearly the time for registration, and we went to tubal, me and my mom and we spoke to Mr. Bailey and Ms. Bailey and they gave me that opportunity like they give a lot of students and anyone out there right.”

 

Lyndon Bailey, Director, Tubal Trade and Vocational Institute

“He came here, he was about eighteen years old, so we were scared of taking him in. So I said well we will give you a chance, unless you don’t give us any problems.”

 

Lyndon Bailey, the Director of Tubal Trade and Vocational Institute, says Torres entered the institution with a mind set on learning a trade. He quickly excelled and completed the two-year electrical program in just one year.

 

Lyndon Bailey

“He is one of our excellent students. One of our role models for Tubal Trade and Vocational Institute.”

 

Yadimir Torres

“From I was small, my mom told me that I was very destructive with toys and wanted to break it in parts and find out what is inside. That was always me and even growing up I would always want to know, like breaking down the flashlight and see why it wasn’t working. So I said I would take the electrical trade right.”

 

It was a decision that would change Torres’ life. He interned with an electrical company as part of his program at Tubal. One week into his internship, he received a job offer due to his exceptional performance. But Torres informed the company that he wanted to complete his training before accepting the offer. After graduating from the institute as valedictorian, Yadimir accepted the job offer and worked with that company for two years.

 

Yadimir Torres

“What they do is they do theory in the morning and practical in the afternoon and while I was there, I can tell you from experience there are students that learn theoretically and some learn it practically. So, that is a big advantage for some of them. They learn it hands on, moving and doing things. Some don’t grasp it theoretically. But there are some students that grasp it theoretically and practically. And the theory part is very important as well because when it comes to taking out your license and doing paperwork, that assists you a lot because you need to do load calculations and so forth for you to send paperwork to the Public Utilities Commission.”

 

Lyndon Bailey

“People say that vocational education is for the slow ones, but it is not for the slow ones. Vocational education is right up there with academic, because a part of it is academic, because you have to know the different connection and you have to do paperwork.”

 

And paperwork is what Torres spends a lot of his time doing now. Seven years ago, he acquired his electrician’s license and started his own electrical company. At first, he had a few jobs that were long distances apart.

 

Yadimir Torres

“That was the most difficult part, starting was the most difficult part. I started walking.”

 

He later acquired a motorbike to get to his clients. Now, Torres’ company owns two trucks, the necessary equipment and provides employment to three electricians, one of whom was also trained at Tubal. Life has come full circle for Torres, as he now takes on interns from the institute.

 

Yadimir Torres

“From the beginning, that is what I envisioned. I visioned that I wanted workers, but I didn’t want to be the boss. I wanted to be the leader. I wanted to lead the team, because I had already had a boss and it is not nice. Being a boss is different than being a leader. You come out to the field, seeing what they are doing and doing it as well, because you were in that shoes and you don’t want to stop being in that shoe, because once you love doing it you will want to do it every day.”

 

Paul Lopez

“If you would go back and have a choice as to whether to do this or not do this, would you still make the same decision to do this?”

 

Lyndon Bailey

“Oh mien, I would do it ten times more, because Tubal is a school is that when you are young you don’t have your mind fully developed on what you want to do. So when you come here you have time to think to see whether you want to do a trade or go into academic. And many time people come because they love the trade.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.