STANDING before the next generation of possible engineers, life came full circle for Roald Garel at Brown’s Town Community College (BTCC).

Garel, an assistant control engineer at Jamaica Public Service (JPS), was back in the electrical installation class where 15 years earlier he had enrolled as a student.

Animated conversation reverberated off the walls of the St Ann tertiary institution school room. The first-year college pupils had rapid-fire questions of the hows, whens, and wheres for Garel to achieve a similar career trajectory as his.

The 33-year-old engineer was at his alma mater as an invited speaker for a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between the JPS Foundation and BTCC. The $1-million agreement will provide electrical installation level II students with modern electrical toolkits, personal protective equipment, and a student support bursary.

“I spent two years at Brown’s Town and have a lot of fond memories from those college years,” he reflected during a post-ceremony interview. “My talk with the electrical students was mostly centred around what kind of jobs they can get in the industry with the level of education they are pursuing now and, more specifically, what kind of jobs are available at JPS.”

His prior visit to the campus was six years ago. “I had been working in St Ann at the Rio Bueno Power plant and was heading back to Kingston. I decided to stop by to look for a few of my lecturers,” he divulged.

Looking in the rear-view mirror of adolescence, Garel said he enrolled in 2010 at BTCC in the pre-university engineering sciences. “I did it mainly on account of outside influences because, at that time, I didn’t know what electrical engineering was. Persons pushed me to do it because I had received grades one in mathematics and physics in my Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate exams.”

Of his time spent at the hilltop school, which boasts breathtaking vistas of the garden parish’s coastline, he recounted: “My favourite lecturers while I was there were Mr Clarke and Miss Robinson, as they helped me to understand what electrical engineering was. Apart from what I studied, they helped to mould me into the person I am today, to have a different outlook on life, and they also taught me a lot of life lessons too.”

Raised in Seville Heights by his retired librarian father Lenworth Garel and insurance executive mother Pearlita, Roald — the middle child of the couple’s offspring that includes sister Johanna and brother Dominic — journeyed to the capital city to advance his knowledge base.

“After getting a taste of what electrical engineering truly is, I had no doubt this was the best thing that I didn’t know I wanted. After finishing my studies at Brown’s Town, I moved on to the University of Technology to further my studies in electrical engineering,” he informed.

Securing an internship at the island’s leading power provider in July 2017, Garel transitioned into a permanent role as a renewable operator nine months later.

A promotion was in the cards for him. “I was in that operator post for three-plus years and applied for a job as assistant control engineer, and I was successful in that interview.”

His current role requires monitoring the electrical grid, responding to power systems events at various voltage levels, and maintaining system parameters within specific levels. “This also involves preparing switching orders to direct field personnel and coordinating these switching activities,” explained the engineer who relishes football, gym-time, and running when he’s clocked out from work.

And, what’s his take on the eight-year professional trek at JPS?

“My tenure with the company, so far, has been great. Traversing between different departments and understanding how each role helps the company achieve its overall goals and strategies has been an excellent learning curve for me. It has also helped me to communicate better with different departments.”

Amongst the young men at BTCC where Garel held an audience for a pep talk, his presence registered a comforting awareness of can-do-too for them.

Rajaunie White was suitably impressed by the engineer. “What I learnt from him is if you want to achieve something, you have to work for it,” extolled the 17-year-old who graduated from Ferncourt High School last year.

With Electrical Installation Level I certification already under his belt at Ferncourt, he settled on pursuing the next available level at BTCC.

“I like setting up wires and circuits and want to become a technician. It’s why I’m doing the Level II programme, as I enjoy the practical aspects of the subject. I love the challenge of working with complex systems and get satisfaction from seeing a project succeed.”

Meanwhile, for White’s classmate, Damani Newland, his landing at BTCC is to follow through on a path he had wanted to take more than a decade ago. He, too, found inspiration in speaking with Garel.

“Talking to him was eye-opening. He had a good vibe and was very knowledgeable. As a former BTCC student who made it into JPS, him telling us that starting at a community college is a strong foundation, especially the practical skills we get, was reassuring,” Newland noted.

The 32-year old Newland, lovingly referred to by his younger peers as ‘Uncs’ or ‘Elder’ divulged that he had to abandon college pursuits at 18.

“I was doing electrical installation studies from my days at Brown’s Town High School because it was always a passion. But I had a child right out of high school so I had to directly go into the working world. My son is now a teenager, so I am chasing my dream.”

While he has worked previously in the hospitality and business process outsourcing industries, Newland was eager to resume his studies to become a certified electrical technician. Plus, he has his sights set on entrepreneurship.

“My dream is to be a business owner,” he declared.

Circling back to words of wisdom imparted by Garel, Newland noted that a key takeaway from their convo was to be keen on networking.

What the BTCC student said he valued most hearing was “to never stop learning as the electrical field is changing fast with renewables and smart grids. Most importantly, he told us to stay persistent, work hard on the job site, and prioritise safety. That’s how he climbed up, and it really motivated me to push harder and eventually apply for opportunities at JPS.”

Promoted from a renewable operator to an assistant control engineer five years ago at JPS, Roald Garel said “traversing between different departments has helped me better understand how each role helps the company achieve its overall goals”. 

JPS Assistant Control Engineer Roald Garel (left) in conversation with Brown’s Town Community College Electrical Installation Level II students Rajaunie White (centre) and Damani Newland.