kevin greenidge : let hard work be your guiding principle remarks by dr kevin greenidge, governor of the central bank of barbados, at the barbados youth advance corps graduation, 25 august 2023. * * * good day graduands. today, i focus my remarks on being the best you can be. many years ago, i was like you. i was about to finished secondary school having spent one year in fifth form and not entered for any cxc course, and therefore would have left with no certification. i appealed to the principal of my school for a second chance, and he gave it to me. i grasped it, and as they say, the rest is history. back then, i committed to becoming the best i could be, envisaged the possibilities, applied myself, worked hard, and today, i am at the pinnacle of my career as the governor of the central bank of barbados. you can do the same. the programme from which you graduate today gave you that second chance. over the past four months, the national transformation initiative ( nti ) helped the barbados youth advanced corps ( byac ) to school you in letter and report writing. nti exposed you to various experiences and projects to prepare you for the technical and vocational training opportunities you will pursue next. and of major significance, you have designed your vision board, which i hope you will use to guide your career and help you attain success. the transitional literacy course has equipped you with the skills necessary to pursue higher learning at the samuel jackman prescod institute of technology, the barbados community college, the barbados institute of management and productivity ( bimap ), or the vocational training board. to become the best at whatever career path you choose, you must build on the foundation that the national transformation initiative and the barbados youth advanced corps laid for you. what is required, though, to solidify that foundation? the answer is simple. you must do a few things to be the best carpenter, cosmetologist, or artisan. topping the list are setting goals to achieve your vision, working hard, remaining focused, and avoiding distractions. you've drafted your vision boards already. that's a great start. now, you must set your goals to achieve those visions. goal setting helps you to chart a path and to map out how you will travel that road to your desired destination. having goals motivates you, gives you a sense of purpose, and helps you

set myself various goals, i put in the work and the time to achieve them. sometimes the hard work meant i had to sacrifice some things. and sacrifice i did. at university, for instance, i discovered i needed a first - class honours degree so i can join the cbb upon graduation. first - class honours requires at least 12 a's out of 20 courses. i was however determined to get more than the 12 a's since i also knew that the cbb only took one graduate each year. therefore, i refused to party, reduced the limes, and immersed myself in my work. i did not get 12 a's ; i got 20 out of 21 courses. a remarkable feat that i attribute to hard work and sacrifice. i am not the only one. other successful people, including athletes, performing artistes, tradesmen and women, and businesspeople put in the time, the energy, and the effort. the good book supports working hard. colossians 3 : 23 - 24 states, " whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the lord as a reward. " and if you think that the inheritance the good book is talking about is when you get to heaven, it is not. it is talking about right here on earth. for the good book also says in proverbs 22 : 29 " do you see a man who excels in his work? he will stand before kings ; he will not stand before unknown men. " so, my friends, let hard work be your guiding principle. building communities among yourselves would help as well. these communities should function like support groups. such groups provide motivation, encouragement, and 2 / 3 bis - central bankers'speeches backing to its members, and would serve you well as you embark on your vocational studies. you can also use these groups to collaborate and pool resources to build integrated businesses later in life. for example, the future carpenters in this class can and should team up with the masons, plumbers, and admin officers to form a one - stop construction company. in this way, you own the business. to the parents in the room, i urge you to fortify your support for your children as they begin a new chapter. they are taking advantage of this second opportunity to improve their fortunes. they will need you to help them stay on track