MAY PEN, Clarendon — Sixty-three process operators recently became the first batch of trainees to graduate from the HEART Trust/NTA Level 1 certification programme in mechanical maintenance, under bauxite/alumina company Jamalco’s Operator Based Maintenance (OBM) initiative.

A news release from Jamalco reported Chief Operating Officer Richard Russell as saying the occasion was “a tremendous accomplishment”. Russell said he was confident that the initiative will help the company grow while reducing maintenance costs.

Human Resources Manager Christopher Buckmaster commended the graduates for their perseverance and encouraged them to continue to improve and move up to the next level of certification. He said he will lobby for support for further training in mechanical maintenance.

“This move is a part of your journey to learn, grow, fulfil your potential and achieve self-actualisation. It is your duty to apply what you have learnt and don’t stop the progress,” said Buckmaster.

Valedictorian, Dezerene Hall-McLean thanked Jamalco for its investment in the operators and described the programme as “riveting, stimulating and enthralling”.

The OBM initiative was conceived by CEO Antonio Melo in March 2013 and was officially launched in September of the same year. Under the initiative, operators are trained to identify defects and proactively report their observations.