Study ‘won’t kill you’ Mac tells would-be mechanics

(CNS): The country’s premier encouraged a group of young people to stay the course last week when he visited them as they started a free training programme at a local automotive shop. McKeeva Bush told the six boys and one girl to make the most of the chance they were getting to learn how to be mechanics.  The students will take a year of theory and practical lessons which will prepare them to take the first assessment examinations at the Jamaica German Automotive School in order to become certified automotive technicians. “Studying will not kill you,” Bush said.

He urged them to be punctual, attend classes regularly and concentrate on the course that is being provided free of charge by Superior Auto.

“It hurts and tears me apart to see young people not being productive,” he said as he told them that lack of funds had stymied his own further education in his teen years. Bush explained his determined efforts to improve his education led him to read books from the public library, but the encouragement he received from many people helped him.

He asked the trainees to make the most of the support they were getting from Mark and Denise DeMercado of Superior Auto, the principals behind the training programme.“

This is the second programme that the DeMercados have undertaken and Denise said the three students from the first class are already employed at Prestige Motors, Car City and Superior. “It is challenging but we need to help the young people,” she said acknowledging the support the programme has received from individual volunteers as teachers and monetarily from Rotary Sunrise, Rotary Central, Price Waterhouse Coopers and HSBC.