 Hello everyone and a warm welcome to the Cole Coursera Convocation for the Caribbean. To start this special day, I am happy to introduce our first speaker, Dr. Maret Neumann, Education Specialist at the Commonwealth of Learning. Honourable Ministers, Chief Executives Coursera and Cal, distinguished guests, and most importantly, graduates, welcome to the Commonwealth of Learning Coursera Virtual Convocation for the Caribbean. Today we are excited to recognise and indeed celebrate the achievements of almost 3,000 learners from across 11 Caribbean countries. But before we hear from our distinguished speakers and some of our learners, I would like to tell you a little bit about my organisation, the Commonwealth of Learning, and the partnerships we enjoy with Caribbean governments and institutions. The Commonwealth of Learning, affectionately referred to as CALL, is headquartered in British Columbia Canada and it is unique. Unique in that it is one of the only three intergovernmental organisations in the world and it is the only one dedicated solely to the development of open and distance learning and the sharing of open educational resources for technologies. In the Caribbean, CALL has been actively serving all 12 Commonwealth territories to address a wide range of national and regional priorities over the years. For example, CALL's open schooling model is currently implemented in Belize and Trinidad and Tobago. In Dominica, CALL is working with government agencies to promote education for resilience and disaster preparedness. In Grenada, CALL has supported the National Accreditation Board and the T.A. Maryshaw College to build institutional capacity in open and distance learning. CALL is supporting an NGO to improve livelihood skills for boys and young men and assisting the University of Guyana with a youth work programme. CALL partners with regional bodies too, the Caribbean tourism organisation, the University of the West Indies and the Joint Board of Teacher Education. All these projects leading to increased access to open and distance education and training. The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted learning and training. It has threatened lives and livelihoods. But today's convocation is evidence that with shared responsibility and strong partnerships, governments and learning organisations together can nurture an enabling and resilient education and training ecosystem. This ceremony is a culmination of such a partnership and we almost 3,000 graduates are proof that Caribbean people will always overcome challenges in learning, work and life. Each one of us here today has reason to celebrate. Once more, welcome everybody and do enjoy the proceedings. Thank you, Dr. Newman. It is my privilege to introduce our next speaker, Mr. Jeff Magincalda, CEO of Coursera. Thank you. I am Jeff Magincalda, the CEO of Coursera and on behalf of Coursera, I would like to thank the leaders of the Commonwealth of Learning and Honourable Ministers from Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, Guyana for inviting me to this incredible event. I must say to the leaders of Guyana, we saw 15,000 course enrollments. This is 2% of the entire country in just the first 10 days. I've never seen anything like it across the world. And so congratulations to this program and also to the incredible learners out there who are clearly taking advantage of a great opportunity. Our partnership with the Commonwealth of Learning is making a great impact across many regions, reaching more than 80,000 people. Just a few weeks back, we celebrated the achievements of learners in Africa. And today, I'm honored to join the graduation ceremony of more than 3,000 learners across the Caribbean. The special moment marks Coursera's first institutional partnership in the region and the start of our long-term commitment to helping citizens prepare for a digital future. I have been fortunate to experience the beauty of many Caribbean nations, including Antigua, Barbuda, the Bahamas, Cuba and Jamaica and the warmth of its people. In fact, this virtual background, I'm not actually in Antigua right now, but in March of 2020, just as COVID was breaking out, I was in Antigua. I took this picture and I can assure you I found it to be one of the most beautiful places in the world with some of the warmest, wonderful people as well. And there is clearly so much potential. When you look at the learners and you look at the achieving, there is clearly so much potential that is in the islands. Coursera was founded by two Stanford professors, Daphne Kohler and Andrew Ng, with a mission to provide universal access to world-class learning. Today's event is a testament to this mission. The economic slowdown caused by the pandemic has resulted in job losses around the world, including countries across the Caribbean. The disruption was disproportionately impacting youth, which accounts for about two-thirds of the population. The services sector, which makes up a significant part of Caribbean economy, has also been under enormous stress. It is critical that workers in the region have a chance to learn job-relevant skills that open new employment opportunities. We launched the Coursera Workforce Recovery Initiative on April 24th to help governments around the world provide impacted workers with the skills needed to re-enter the workforce. This initiative offers access to 4,000 courses from 150 top universities and 50 industry leaders globally. It includes programs like the Google IT Support Professional Certificate, which quickly prepares those with no tech background for high-demand IT jobs. Today, we celebrate what learners from 11 Commonwealth nations in the Caribbean have achieved. The 3,000 graduates are the first in the entire region to complete courses on Coursera through this initiative. Graduates, your determination to learn despite all odds is an inspiration to all of us. I'm proud to share a few highlights of your collective journey in the program so far. Together with your peers in the Caribbean, you accumulated over 50,000 course enrollments and 150,000 hours of learning. Of today's graduates, 60% of you use a mobile device to complete your learning. And some of your favorite courses are Programming for Everybody from University of Michigan, Excel Skills for Business from Macquarie University, Introduction to Psychology from Yale University, Initiating and Planning Projects from University of California, Irvine, and Writing Professional Emails in English from Georgia Tech. You have shown a lot of passion for personal development and business skills. Many of you learn and advance skills like finance, communication, project management, and programming. These skills will prepare you for high-demand careers that will drive economic success for your countries. At Coursera, we remain dedicated to helping each one of you unlock your potential by providing job-relevant content, a powerful learning experience, and institutional support. While graduating virtually will feel different to many of you, sometimes different is good. You are persevering through one of the most challenging crises of our times. It takes courage and dedication to acquire new knowledge and learn new skills amid this kind of uncertainty. And you are going to inspire so many people in your communities to do the same. So congratulations to you and the difference that you are making for your neighbors around you. And finally, I want to extend a special thanks to the Commonwealth of Learning's CEO and President, Professor Asha Kanwar, and Commonwealth of Learning's Skills Advisor, Dr. Bashir Ahmad Shadrak. Your leadership and passion made today's event possible. I look forward to expanding our partnership as we continue to explore ways to serve people and governments across Commonwealth nations. Congratulations to everyone, especially the learners on today. Thank you very much. Stay safe. And we look forward to learning together in the future. Thank you, Mr. Majin Calda. It is our great pleasure to introduce the Minister of Labour and Social Partnership Relations Barbados, the Honorable Colin Jordan. Thank you very much. Good afternoon. Professor Asha Kanwar, President and CEO of the Commonwealth of Learning. Mr. Jeff McInglada, Chief Executive Officer of COSERA, Dr. Bashir Ahmad Shadrak, Advisor, Skills Commonwealth of Learning, Dr. Maria Newman, Education Specialist Commonwealth of Learning, Honorable Eman Emaline Pierre, Sorry, Minister of Education, Human Resource Development, Religious Affairs and Information of the Native, Honourable Prior, McInglada, Minister of Education, Higayana, Colleague Ministers, Graduates, Persons Viewing via Livestream, Media Professionals, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, all good afternoon to all of you. It is indeed a pleasure to share some thoughts this afternoon at this Caribbean Convocation of the Commonwealth of Learning and COSERA Workforce Recovery Program, and to do so on behalf of the government and people of Barbados. Today, this Convocation is a great reason to smile and to celebrate, not only for the graduates of Barbados, but also for our brothers and our sisters across the Caribbean. Those persons who've recently completed their various courses of study through the Commonwealth of Learning, COSERA Workforce Recovery Program. I send a warm welcome to you, as well as to colleagues from across the various continents who will be joining with us today, and also joining on the Zoom platform. Barbados has been a member of the Commonwealth since our independence in 1966, and over the years we have developed and maintained a very strong working relationship with the Commonwealth. Over this period, our citizens and the country as a whole have benefited from a number of initiatives, including technical assistance, the awarding of scholarship opportunities in areas of education and youth development. My government is therefore very grateful for the opportunity to collaborate now with the Commonwealth of Learning, COSERA Workforce Recovery Program. This collaboration, ladies and gentlemen, is occurring at a time when many of the citizens of Barbados and the wider Caribbean region are brought into the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This great opportunity allows our citizens to engage in a variety of training courses and to retool and enhance the overall skill set and so forward push forward their development because our people are seeking to reposition themselves in and for the world of work. In spite of what may appear as a period of bloom and doom to some, or maybe to many, I'm encouraged that a large number of Barbados have grasped this opportunity with both ends, as you speak, and they're engaged actively in learning and personal development. The excitement demonstrated by our citizens toward this initiative is really, really borne out by the following statistics. As of September 14, 2020, the Ministry of Labor and Social Partnership relations have referred 6,275 persons, which represents 4,586 women and 1,689 men. Already 4,411 of these persons have started the various courses. I am positive that the team at the Ministry and the team from the Commonwealth of Learning for Coursera Workforce Recovery Program will continue to work statistically to see how best we can bridge this gap. We may have to reach out and provide technical assistance for those who may be encountering challenges in the enrollment process. Our Ministry acknowledges also a big disparity in the numbers between women and men participants in this Coursera Workforce Recovery Program. With courses available in areas such as entrepreneurship, game design, animation, areas that are not missing as attractive pursuits for men, it is a bit disappointing, for me, very disappointing, that the numbers of men enrolled are not higher. My Ministry therefore acknowledges that we have to adapt and adopt a more targeted approach to men for future training interventions. The collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning for Coursera Workforce Recovery Program and the Government of Providence has shown how a great relationship along with a strong desire to provide much needed assistance to men states at this time can be beneficial to our citizens. As we continue to navigate these uncharted waters, we remain cognizant that no one has escaped the onslaught of COVID-19. What commenced as a program to assist the unemployed was extended to any Barbadian who was seeking to return or to reskill or who felt generally unsure about their employment situation. The registration process has already revealed some interesting data. Over 75% of registrants have expressed a desire to become self-employed. While the remaining 25% are seeking better employment opportunities, not just locally, but some of them are also looking abroad. I am really, really happy to be able to laud the 883 Barbadians who have completed one or more courses to date, resulting in them being awarded certificates of completion and who are today part of this Caribbean convocation. Special mention must be made of the two most prolific of those learners from Barbados, Robin Williams, who has completed 11 courses and Beaumont Hackett, who has completed nine courses. On behalf of the government of Barbados, I extend special and heartfelt congratulations to Robin and to Beaumont and to all of you who are graduating those 881 others for going the distance. To those of you who are still on the journey to completion, stay the course. We look forward to celebrating with you at convocation 2021. Stay focused and know that better and greater opportunities are ahead of you. I am aware that the Commonwealth of Learning Coursera Workforce Recovery Program has been very well received not only in Barbados but throughout the Caribbean region and similarly across the African and Asian continents. My ministry is of the view that even though we are separated by miles of ocean and are at times competitors whether in the areas of international business or tourism, we recognize through the Commonwealth that we can achieve more when we work together. COVID-19 will not stop us. Barbados, like most of your countries, has taken measures to provide a level of social protection for our people. Payments of 108.6 million Barbados dollars were paid through our national insurance scheme to 31,000 claimants for unemployment benefits. This is for the period March 23 to September 18, 2020. With an unemployment rate in the high 30s percent, the government through its recent thrown speech will shortly be implementing two initiatives which will specifically provide assistance to currently unemployed persons. They include a one-year, 14 million Barbados dollar COVID relief program and a 300 million stimulus package to be known as the Barbados Employment and Sustainable Transformation or BEST program. And these programs are to address the current serious situation that our country finds itself in. These initiatives are examples of how Barbados has creatively sought to handle the impact of this pandemic and to be in a position to rebuild our country and our economy stronger and better. I take this opportunity to reiterate our strong support for this collaborative effort with the Commonwealth of Learning, Coursera Workforce Recovery Program. It will definitely uplift our people and allow them to return to the working environment better equipped and ultimately more productive. I again, Lord, the Commonwealth of Learning and Coursera, I congratulate all of you who have completed courses thus far. My ministry looks forward to continued support and collaboration as we seek to uplift and to improve the quality of lives of our people and the people of the Caribbean. I thank you. Thank you, minister. We are honored to have as our next guest the Minister of Education, Human Resource Development, Religious Affairs and Information, Grenada, the Honourable Ms. Emmeline Pierre. Dear minister, kindly turn on your microphone and you may begin speaking. Thank you so very much and let me use this opportunity to also recognize and to say a very warm good afternoon. Greetings to my colleague, ministers of education in this region. Of course, Professor Asha Kanwar, the President of Cal, Mr. Jeff Magyon Calder, CEO of Coursera, other specially invited guests and officials, of course the graduands and all others who have joined prospective students, I agree to you with a sense of joy that in a crisis we can be celebrating and so on behalf of the government and people of Grenada, I want to say a special thank you at the commencement of my few remarks to all those who have made this possible. Let me specially recognize and applaud the partnership between Cal and Coursera for what I consider to be a very timely invaluable response to COVID-19 and all of the challenges that we face at this time. It was Albert Einstein who said and I believe this to be so true in the middle of difficulties lie opportunities and so the opportunities that are presented to us, we must be so ever grateful and I trust that all of the participants, all of the beneficiaries see the value and really do appreciate the partnership between two very important organizations. Providing access to over 4,000 courses is in my view a powerful demonstration of visionary leadership in the midst of a crisis. Leadership that understands that we don't just respond to now but we prepare for the future and so I believe that because of this initiative we are indeed going to bounce back better coming out of this particular situation. At a time when many workers throughout the region have either lost their jobs or at risk of losing their jobs an initiative like this cannot be undervalued cannot be underestimated particularly for the hope that it provides in this difficult time. I also want to use this opportunity to say that this initiative I'm sure will help persons to find new opportunities getting into new areas wherever those opportunities are available and so even if a person may have lost a job the hope of finding another one because of the opportunity this would provide increases their chances of employment but it also provides another opportunity which is to impact positively to improve the current workforce that we have in the region. What an excellent initiative quality leadership exists within our institutions. Let me also use this opportunity to congratulate all of the graduates all of those who have taken advantage of this opportunity. In the case of Grenada we do have just over 400 persons graduating today but I'm reliably informed that we do have close to 3,000 new registrants for these courses and I wish to give the assurance that we are going to do everything that is possible within the Ministry of Education to provide this opportunity to even more Grenadians locally. We believe that this is an opportunity that we cannot lose, we cannot waste and again I want to reiterate that our focal point Mr. Kate Decoto and the team at the Ministry of Education continue to push to ensure that everyone is given an opportunity to sign up for these courses. Of course to our friends and our brothers and sisters in the region I say special congratulations to you. You have actually demonstrated that you do have great resilience that in a time of crisis you are thinking about not just now but about the future that would have been a great motivation for enrolling in those courses. It was one Caribbean singer named Lieutenant Stitchie when he visited the island of Grenada sometime in 2004 after we were devastated by Hurricane Ivan and many persons were in a very gloomy mode not sure what the future was going to hold for us as a small island devastated by a category 5 hurricane. He repeated the words that this is an excellent opportunity to build back better and I am sure as I witness this exercise this afternoon I am sure as we look at the numbers of those who have registered thus far I am confident that we are going to build better because of this opportunity. Tom Peters said if the window of opportunity comes don't pull down the shade and that is my encouragement to all those who have registered do not pull down the shade you have an excellent opportunity to make brighter your future you have an excellent opportunity to navigate with greater confidence through this crisis and I want to thank from the bottom of my heart on behalf of all of the people of Grenada Kariko and Petey Matney thank you to Kall thank you to Kocero what an excellent opportunity you must be proud of what intervention you have made in the midst of a crisis congratulations everyone and we look forward to even greater participation greater success as we move along. Thank you minister it is our great pleasure to also introduce the minister of education Guyana the Honourable Priya Manichand Dear minister kindly turn on your microphone and you may begin speaking Professor Kanwar Mr. Jeff Majinkalda colleague ministers graduands and particularly Dr. Bashira Madshadrak who has been extremely responsive to all our queries late in the night and early in the mornings we are good afternoon thank you very much for having us here we're very pleased to be here it is with great pleasure that I deliver these brief remarks on behalf of the people of Guyana the Commonwealth of Learning Coursera Workforce Recovery Program holds deep implications for our country as a developing nation currently situating itself to maximize the potential of our recent oil discoveries and other strategic initiatives the quality of our human capital is critically important COVID-19 has displaced many individuals and we're still grappling with widespread implications of the pandemic as well as a brutal and notoriously extended elections period this program is timely and ideal as it cushions the effects of the pandemic by enabling our citizens to acquire and in some cases strengthen a wide range of skill sets that build Guyana's capacities capacity to enhance our future output where many might have remained dormant awaiting a return to a more productive state of affairs or registrants are now actively engaged in a multiplicity of upskilling courses this augurs well for Guyana and the Caribbean evidencing the thirst of Guyanese to upskill and retool we have had a tremendous response with 2,505 registrants and 709 graduates after launching the program just over two weeks ago we're now engaged in aggressively ensuring participation and fair opportunities from individuals in our remote riverine and hinterland locations where opportunities such as this must serve all our citizens equally on another level it is opposite to underscore the importance of this and other partnerships our country has with the commonwealth of learning and the key role they play in aiding the attainment of our developmental objectives as the government of Guyana works to ensure the highest standard of living for citizens we attribute great significance to these strategic alliances that aid our endeavors kudos to Coursera for demonstrating such corporate responsibility and leadership by facilitating this initiative this serves as a testament to the good things that can emerge even in the face of such a highly impactful pandemic on behalf of all Guyanese people we applaud your efforts we thank you dearly finally it is with great pride that I congratulate all of our graduates to date from Guyana and other countries in the Caribbean and look forward to the numbers of future graduates from this wonderful program rising even more I thank you thank you minister it is our privilege to also introduce the Minister of Education Innovation Gender Relations and Sustainable Development St. Lucia the Honorable Dr. Gale Rigobert the officer and colleagues and distinguished guests I'm especially delighted to participate in today's ceremony given that we are honoring recognizing the resilience, stickability and unwavering interest of our young people in capitalizing on the opportunities that have been made available to them I also wish to recognize the invaluable partnership of Coursera in ensuring that our people in the Caribbean are not left to linger on the hard shoulder of the highway of technological advancement today we celebrate over 3,000 learners across 11 countries as I understand it and we also celebrate the extent to which that we can leverage technology even at a time such as this in the midst of a pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic this program, the Workforce Recovery Initiative or program could not be at a more appropriate time it responds not only to the ongoing need for retooling and upskilling our workforce but at a time when so many would have lost their jobs and so many are rethinking how best to reposition themselves in the labor market courses such as the ones that on the menu for offer present new hope, new opportunity and I want to thank you very much for sharing your technological and digital educational resources we are a resilient people of necessity and our resilience in education is part of a multifaceted concept of resilience that we have adopted in our government we speak of fiscal resilience, we speak of climate resilience and now we're speaking of resilience and education something that has come to the fore in a very poignant way in this COVID-19 context to the graduates I say that you are now much better equipped to participate more meaningfully in the global knowledge economy our commitment to lifelong learning our focus on the integration of ICTs in education our unwavering efforts to equip our citizens and young people with relevant marketable skills that will enhance their employability our strategic ambition to better position institutions to be more actively engaged in crafting their own path for development and especially within the context of an emerging economic space all of these ambitions that are never find full expression in the program the workforce recovery initiative which we celebrate today it means for us too that not only can our solution citizens benefit from this but they truly global village context that they can hold their own not only on this tiny rock of ours but that they are equally empowered to participate in other economic spaces as well and for that I am eternally grateful to call for their ongoing partnership I pray that with your newly found skills or recently embellished capacities that you will find more hope that you will be more empowered and bolden to realize some of your long held dreams and that whatever challenges that COVID-19 would have created for you that you are now more equipped to respond I therefore thank all those who have facilitated this I thank our inclusion participants in particular and wish them very well in their endeavors we are so very proud of you I pray that you will continue to maximize upon those opportunities in fact that you embrace opportunities of this type and we can all therefore benefit in a very real material and tangible way thank you very much for this thank you minister providing the convocation address today I present professor Asha Canwar president and CEO of the Commonwealth of Learning thank you Helen Honorable Colin Jordan Barbados Honorable Emeline Pierre Grenada Honorable Priya Manikchand Gayana Honorable Dr. Gayle Rigobert Saint Lucia our representatives from Coursera colleagues and our graduates once again a very warm welcome to this exciting event where we can see the future of education unfold before our eyes this virtual convocation is a sign of the times when we had to adopt new models of teaching and learning almost overnight since the students can't go to the university the university is coming to the student and that too free of cost and for this we must thank Jeff and his team members in particular Kevin Mills Jad Pasha and Maria Nicole for making this possible for about 100,000 Commonwealth citizens across the globe the Commonwealth as we all know is very young with 60% of the population under the age of 30 youth unemployment in the Commonwealth at 17% is already higher than the global average and this pandemic is expected to further exacerbate youth unemployment in the 54 Commonwealth member states which need skilling and reskilling of their workforce that's why the Coursera workforce recovery program is both timely and critical as your ministers have already acknowledged let me also thank you honourable ministers for joining us today to encourage our learners in Barbados honourable minister you'll be pleased to note that today the maximum number of graduates are from your country in Grenada the help desk posted by your ministry is providing support to over 3000 learners the uptake in Guyana has exceeded all expectations as we heard from the minister over 33,000 registrants and the numbers still continue to grow Saint Lucia was the first country in the region to enthusiastically take up this offer and recognize the value of it it's your personal leadership that has been a key to this great success warm congratulations to the 3000 plus learners from 11 Commonwealth Caribbean countries on your well-deserved success I hope this will encourage you to complete many more courses before the new year I'm especially happy to note that over 60% of those graduating today are women and girls in my view you who have understood the power of online learning are any employer's dream even though many of you are self employed and why is that because you have demonstrated that you are motivated focused disciplined digitally literate fluent and above all lifelong learners all these are attributes for success in the uncertain world that lies ahead and all these are also the attributes of the ideal it's also my pleasure to thank the ministries who have provided on-site academic and administrative support to the learners this has been especially valuable for first time online learners many of them located in rural and remote areas I'm sure this has been a very fulfilling experience for you as it was for me I'm also a proud Coursera graduate and what I really liked was the variety of the well researched course content taught by top professors the small chunks in which the content was presented instant feedback interesting assignments and of course success the certificate which is always a great motivator as we celebrate your success dear learners let us look at the infinite possibilities that lie ahead as the great Caribbean Nobel laureate VS Nipol said and I quote after all we make ourselves according to the ideas we have of our possibilities I quote we make ourselves according to the ideas we have of our possibilities so why limit our ideas and our possibilities let the imagination soar and reach for the stars thank you to all of you who completed your courses congratulations as mentioned over 3000 learners from 11 Caribbean countries have been awarded with the prestigious Coursera certificates thank you to all who took the time to send in photos and videos which we have assembled in this 10 minute video we hope you enjoy it in May 2020 the Commonwealth of Learning partnered with Coursera to provide those who lost their livelihoods due to COVID-19 with the skills needed to re-enter the workforce registered learners gained unlimited and free access to over 4000 courses designed to help them stay relevant in the changing job markets over 80,000 citizens of the Commonwealth have already benefited from this initiative with more than 10,000 people graduating recognizing the success of these learners the Convocation for Africa was held on August 18th celebrating the 2300 graduates similar events are planned for our graduates from Asia and the Pacific in the near future but today we honor all of you from the Caribbean I'm also increasing my marketability in terms of my career and my team in addition, I'm also learning all the skills and tools that I need to make more meaningful contribution to my community and to my country as a whole I have been able to achieve a number of accomplishments thus far which has boosted my skillset both for my current employment and it has helped me chart a path that I want to travel for my future nobody tell you guys you cannot do it we all can do it with hard work and progression I took the courses I took were centered on teaching and these courses have given me the tools needed to enrich my students experiences by creating more interactive online courses it wasn't easy yet still it wasn't hard but through hard work determination and a positive mindset I have succeeded this initiative is very pivotal and has created a tremendous path in my life in that it has allowed me to acquire new knowledge and skills as it relates to my work and I am also able to upskill and reskill myself personally and professionally I look forward within the upcoming months to take a number of courses on Coursera and that would be for my personal knowledge as well as for a good look on my resume I enjoyed that entrepreneurship course because it allowed me to dispel a lot of fears that I had in regards to starting a business and I also needed some insight as to which career that I would want to pursue in the future I registered for Coursera because I believe it provides an avenue to attain further education in topics that I am interested in also because of the flexible structures of the courses you are able to study on your own pace and if you download the Coursera app it makes it even easier to study on the go At the end of it I found I was more knowledgeable than when I was starting the program has helped me with some aspects in my job as well as my hobby It can be difficult to learn by yourself but each new skill each new knowledge is a step forward for a better future I hope these courses will enhance my teaching career and more so my work environment Without no hesitation I urge you to sign up for these courses This is the best thing that will ever happen to you The two main benefits I've gained, one gaining a deeper knowledge and skill sets require it to be more valuable and efficient in my career path and two becoming more confident in performing technical duties in a more professional manner Make knowledge acquisition part of your process This course has impacted my knowledge It has increased my confidence and made me feel proud about myself My confidence is up 1000% It has been very very good for me I have improved my writing skills I'm looking forward to writing my book in the future Coursera has impacted me as a single mom since I'm unable to go to classes because due to my son I got the opportunity to pursue certificates with Coursera Moving forward I will be using these certificates to help me boost my employability I have used this opportunity to tap into specialisations and professional education in the fields of IT business and education Since then I've been doing a better job communicating to my clients and assisting them where they needed me I'm going to be continuing pursuing the courses that have opened to me and I'm very very thankful to be part of this program Coursera from making things possible for me to be able to bring knowledge acquire skills and qualifications that will greatly enhance my individual self as well as my portfolio Thank you The lessons learned from these courses has aided my transition from being a professional to becoming a manager Continuous growth development and improvement are definitely important to success therefore an opportunity like this shouldn't be missed Maya Angelou once said Do the best you can until you know better and then when you know better do better I'm originally from Guyana and like many Guyanese grew up in her family all across the Caribbean from Jamaica to Trinidad and to Barbados I'm so proud to see the tens of thousands of learners across the Caribbean enrolled in this program and thousands of learners graduating already I know it's not always easy to juggle all of your day-to-day responsibilities through some of these very challenging courses so it is very impressive to see you all investing in your education These skills are going to unlock new opportunities for you So keep going and spread the word in your communities to create a culture of lifelong learning across the Caribbean Thank you very much Wonderful seeing all those faces Congratulations again to all of you To conclude this convocation I introduce Dr. Bashira Madshadrak advisor for skills for the Commonwealth of Learning Congratulations to each one of you once again for graduating today As you continue to study we are certain that each one of you would be a part of our alumni program that we are designing While I thank all of you from the Caribbean region I also wish to thank the hundreds of participants from Asia, Africa and the Pacific who have joined us today as a global family of lifelong learners. We are all proud winners today Special gratitude to Honourable Minister Colleen Jordan of Barbados Honourable Minister Emeline Peer of Grenada Honourable Minister Priya Manichan from Guyana Honourable Minister Dr. Gail Rigabert from Trinidad and Tobago for participating in this special convocation and for sharing your words of wisdom to each and every learner here Dear Ministers Your very presence today offers the much-record impetus to the entire initiative and all the encouragements to each and every of the 35,000 learners from the region you all inspired us today A special thanks to the CEO of Coursera Mr. Jeff Magion Calder for his generous partnership and for initiating the workforce recovery programme itself and to his colleagues Mr. Kevin Mills Mr. Chad Pasha Ms. Maria Nicole Ms. Eva Nirenberg and others for this remarkable journey that you have begun with the commonwealth of learning We do trust that this partnership will last for a long time to come Perhaps at least until we all find and turn every person in this planet as a lifelong learner A special thanks to Dr. Patricia Ben of Antigo and Barbada Ms. Maria Seymour of the Bahamas Dr. Karen Best Mr. Randy Clark and Ms. Maureen Bowen of Barbados Dr. Yvonne Alma of Belize Dr. Monil Alexis of Dominica Mr. K. of Grenada Mr. Loto Sam Mr. Filmingo Ms. Tandy Brann of Guyana Dr. Felicia Marshall of Jamaica Mr. Fransil Morris of St. Kitts and Nevis Mr. Jermaine Antony and Ms. Cynthia Housen of St. Lucia Dr. Aideel of Nile of St. Vincent and Heinz and Dr. Amiya Christopher Mr. Nigel Paris Ms. Donna Skonmores-Moses Ms. Ronda Shaboudi Ms. Pauline Whiteman Dr. Patrice Paris-Searlas Mr. Steven Bujavan Mr. Neville Alexander Mr. McKessie Alexander of Trinidad and Tobago All of our focal points and partners have shown the leadership and the courage to bring 35,000 of your learners from the region. Thank you so much. Let me also thank today the partners in Africa, Asia and the Pacific as well. Last but not the least I wish to thank the leadership team at call, Professor Conver and Dr. Balaji and my own colleague Dr. Naveed Malik who has been a pillar of support in this initiative Dr. Mariette Newman and our emcee Helen Asquanis Ms. Anna Lee Dr. Natalia Anjali Jaisinko Ms. Anya Ms. Rebecca Ferry and Ms. Veely for the tireless work which helped us to turn this event very successful. Finally my special word of thanks to Ms. Helen Asquanis again for compiling and editing this excellent video that we just now watched. Ladies and gentlemen with this and with my own personal word of thanks and gratitude I wish to conclude this convocation ceremony and bring it to a close formally. Best wishes to each one of you till we meet again.