Holguin Vocational School Acts as a Beacon of Opportunity

In the heart of Holguin, the Julio Antonio Mella Vocational School has established itself as a cornerstone in the technical and personal development of new generations.

Far from being a conventional educational center, this institution has become a true beacon of opportunity. For those seeking to enter the workforce with a useful and necessary trade for society. During a tour of its facilities, we witnessed how practical knowledge and vocation transform lives and contribute to the region’s economic fabric.

Also the center’s philosophy is clear: to offer an education that combines theory with intensive practice from an early age. This is explained by Nancy Mora González, Head of the Technical and Vocational Education Group in Holguin. Who details the school’s innovative admissions model.

“The school has the capacity to attract students who, for various reasons, have fallen behind in the general education system due to age.” “It’s not about exclusion, but about inclusion through practical skills,” stated Mora González. The official explained that students enter through three training annexes. “Annex one receives students who have completed third and fourth grade, starting at age 13.

Here, they study until ninth grade while learning a trade. In annex two, young people who have already completed seventh grade and are 14 years old stay for three years. Also graduating with a ninth-grade education and their chosen specialization. And in annex three, we serve 15- and 16-year-old students from special education schools. Who come to consolidate a trade for their full social inclusion.”

This inclusive and personalized approach is what distinguishes the “Julio Antonio Mella” school. Walking through its workshops, one senses an atmosphere of concentration and learning. Dannier Guerra Anazco, a young student at the center. Enthusiastically shares his experience of training in multiple disciplines.

“Here I’ve learned various skills. I’ve been through many multipurpose workshops: carpentry, masonry, electricity.” “That’s really useful. You learn how to turn a spinning top or make a baseball bat. Skills that are useful for life and even for doing things at home,” said Dannier. Highlighting the everyday usefulness of the knowledge acquired.

The key to the success of this training model lies in its faculty, professionals with extensive practical experience. Nancy Leyva Aldaya, an instructor at the school. She emphasizes the importance of versatility in teaching.

“By going through all the workshops, our students are prepared to work in any of the trades taught here. They’ll go to their jobs and apply the responsibility they’ve cultivated in the classroom-workshops to their lives. We don’t just teach them a trade. We teach them to be useful and responsible,” Leyva Aldaya stated.

But the impact of this vocational school extends beyond the workshop walls. The institution has managed to build a strong network of integration with the community. Understanding that the student’s holistic development requires the support of the surrounding area. Antonio Marrero Zaldívar, a resident of the community, highlighted the close relationship between the school and the families.

“They participate in activities such as parent-teacher meetings, parent council meetings, and group assemblies. They support volunteer work. In this way, they contribute to the comprehensive training of our students for their chosen trade. Fostering a connection between home, school, family, and community. There is a strong sense of integration that strengthens both the community and the school,” Marrero Zaldívar remarked.

Moreover the Julio Antonio Mella Vocational School is, without a doubt, a symbol of hope and development for Holguin. Here, not only are bricklayers, electricians, and chefs trained. Useful citizens are forged, with a defined life plan and the certainty that work dignifies. In each young person who learns to turn wood or master an electrical circuit. A more promising future is being built, brick by brick, for the youth of Holguin and for Cuba.

By: Daimy Peña Guillén

Radio Angulo
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