Dawes

There are very few things about which a man can say "it changed my life". Such things are often few and far between. Therefore, when Dillon Dawes says his training and development through the High School Equivalency Programme (HISEP) did so for him, it arouses the questions "how" and "why"?

The HISEP allows Jamaicans over 18 years the opportunity to get secondary-level qualifications and certification. If a person has not completed some secondary-level education programme, or has not received adequate certification to matriculate into a tertiary-level institution, then one may apply to the HISEP.

Read and write

"Going through high school, I'm a person who never used to write a lot, don't really like to read a lot," Dawes said as he started to explain his love for the HISEP.

"Well, from starting HISEP, it has taught me to read a lot and to write a lot. Now I'm writing much more than I used to do throughout my whole lifetime."

A self-employed plumber, some would question whether learning to read and write could really have any significant value for Dawes. Dawes, however, debunks the myth that skill can stand independent of literacy and that those who are skilled do not need to be competent in literacy and communication.

"It is something that helps in my line of work where communication is concerned because, as you know, we have to communicate with a lot of people," he said.

"The communication part of what I learned in HISEP is a very major part of life - how to communicate with people, and the type of people you are to communicate with in everyday life," Dawes explained.

Dillon Dawes' journey has taken him very far, and he hopes it will lead him to a career now in social work or in guidance and counselling. It is a journey, Dawes explained, that has been well supported by his family, employers and employees.

"When my daughter, who is still in high school, saw that I was still studying, she said 'Daddy you still going to school?'" he said, chuckling.

Dawes then went on to share that he and his daughter used to sit down and work out problems together and so, in a sense the HISEP helped to strengthen their bond.

What about work? Dawes had to find time to balance both work and the programme, so how did those with whom he had to work respond to him and his academic pursuit?

"No bad reaction whatsoever - not even one time. As a matter of fact, all the people I've told about it are really supportive - I've never yet got any form of bad reaction from people I've worked with," Dawes said.

The Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning (JFLL) continues to foster change in people's lives. The Gleaner will be highlighting some of the graduates of the foundation's programmes who have gone on to achieve success in their professional pursuits. See last Sunday's Gleaner for the first in the series and for more information on the JFLL, you may contact the foundation at 47B South Camp Road, Kingston 4, or call 928-5181-6.