PDI Guyana: Empowering Skills, Creating Opportunities | Graduation 2026 - 592 News

107 graduates. Six professional development programmes. One powerful celebration of achievement.
On Wednesday, August 26, 2026, the Professional Development Institute (PDI) of the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) celebrated the successful completion of short-course training for 107 graduates in Guyana at MovieTowne Theatre.
This milestone was made possible through a collaborative initiative involving the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), the Guyana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, and the University of the Southern Caribbean.

Graduates successfully completed training in:
• Art of Television and Video Production
• Social Media and Corporate Video Production
• Drone Operations and Safety Management
• Painting Mediums, Styles and Genres
• Foundations of Vegetarian Cuisine
• Fundamentals of Video Editing

The programmes produced a total of 107 graduates 48 males and 59 females equipped with practical skills and new opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Under the leadership of Dr. Barbara G. Reynolds, Vice-President for Administration, Advancement and Planning at USC, the Professional Development Institute continues to expand opportunities for professional development, skills training, and lifelong learning. Through initiatives such as this, USC continues to strengthen its regional presence while creating meaningful pathways for individuals to develop skills that support employment, entrepreneurship, creativity, and national development.
The graduation brought together graduates, partners, supporters, instructors, and leaders who contributed to making this initiative possible. Among them were Mrs. Kathy Smith, Chairperson of the Board of Industrial Training, who delivered the keynote address, and Mr. Richard Maughn, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary of the Board of Industrial Training, who also addressed the graduates and emphasized the importance of skills development and opportunity.
Pastor Andrew Chichester, Executive Secretary of the Guyana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, was also present in support of the collaboration.

David Barker, Multimedia Production Officer at USC and one of the instructors for three of the six courses, was also present to celebrate the achievements of the graduates. Having been directly involved in their training, Barker addressed the graduates and encouraged them to take what they had learned and put it into practice.
His message emphasized that graduation should be viewed as momentum for the next stage of their journey. The certificate represents an achievement, while the skills gained provide a foundation to keep learning, applying, improving, creating, and pursuing new opportunities.
One of the highlights of the celebration was seeing the work of the graduates come to life. Student-produced films were showcased on the big screen, while graduates from the Painting Mediums, Styles and Genres course proudly displayed their artwork at the venue.
These creative works demonstrated the practical outcomes of the training and the talent, creativity, and skills developed throughout the programmes.

The ceremony captured what PDI is all about: turning learning into practical skills and practical skills into opportunity.
Learning. Learning by Doing. Doing.
From creative industries and digital media to culinary arts and professional skills development, the Professional Development Institute continues to empower individuals to learn, grow, create, and move forward.

Through partnerships with organizations such as the Board of Industrial Training and the Guyana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, USC continues to bring education, professional development, and skills training to communities across the region.
Congratulations to the PDI Guyana Class of 2026!
This is momentum. Keep learning. Keep doing. Keep improving.
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Founded in 1927 the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) is a private, co-educational institution with a diverse student body located in the twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Our graduates continue to show the richness of the educational package offered at USC, providing employers with feelings confidence and trust. The USC reputation extends beyond Trinidad and Tobago, and includes significant sections of the Anglophone Caribbean region, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, the Francophone Caribbean countries of Guadeloupe, Martinique, both French and Netherlands St Martin, Suriname, The United Kingdom and the mainland of North America.

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