SOME of the young men who wipe windscreens at major intersections in the Corporate Area, in order to put bread on their tables, are happy with offers of skills training and are now looking forward to completing courses and earning certification after programmes were halted with the onset of the novel coronavirus last year.

The Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme, which has helped in recruiting the young men to get skills training, has come in for praise from these individuals.

One windscreen wiper, who wanted to be identified by his alias Rubber, said he was receiving training for underwater welding, which he was grateful for, but classes ceased during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

However, he mentioned that recently, there has been some efforts at recruitment and the restarting of training.

“It [the programme] nah gwaan again but about three or four days ago some police come sign wi up and say wi going on the HOPE programme. I didn’t know much about underwater welding but when the pandemic come we didn’t even have three months of the class,” he told the Observer.

Another windscreen wiper called Hopeton, who has been wiping motor vehicle windscreens at traffic lights for 20 years, said he is looking forward to more opportunities.

“One time me did go on the programme but corona it mash up. Since that, mi nuh do nuh more. The other day dem come back and organise something again about a month ago, so we will see how it go,” said Hopeton.

“Me would want help so that me could get a skill and earn some money. It [windscreen wiping] benefit me a little, not a lot, cause sometimes I can’t even make certain money that I want,” Hopeton added.

And a windscreen wiper called Ricardo added, “I went so far in the HOPE programme but corona locked down the schools. I even did a mathematics and English test. The programme really good, man.”

While another windscreen wiper said, “I’ve never gone through any of those programmes. I would just love if the Government help wi fi get a work.”

Meanwhile, national coordinator for the HOPE Programme, Colonel Martin Rickman said he has already had discussions with HEART/NSTA Trust in supporting Squeegee Academy International for the windscreen wipers.

“We can almost guarantee that everybody who gets on board, and are dedicated to the things that we are training them [in], they will be successful in life,” said Rickman.

The Squeegee Academy International programme was designed in June by Sheleisha Kassie to improve the lives of windscreen wipers by offering them training in different skill areas.

The recruitment of youngsters ages 18 to 30 is set to begin in October, before the launch of the programme in January 2022.

In responding to the plea of the windscreen wipers, Kassie pointed out that there will be a continuation of programmes that were halted.

“I am happy they are concerned because a part of the success is for them to see that they can do it and be interested in the programme. We know far more now than we did when COVID-19 just came about, so now with all protocols observed we will lessen the number of persons in a class and arrange accordingly,” she said.

She also said the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) has indicated its interest in collaborating with the Squeegee Academy International in providing an area for skills training.

“They will be sharing one of their properties, so they have really lessened a bit of the pressure. That has already set a foundation for the programme and we are very happy about that,” said Kassie.