Rachael gets Pitman award

Rachael de Souza has been awarded the City and Guilds medal for excellence in the 2004-2005 Pitman’s exams which are completed by students from the British Commonwealth. She achieved an extremely high standard of performance in her qualification and was amongst the very best for her subject – English for Business – Communications – Level 2 – 2005.

In a letter addressed to Velma Jardine, principal of the Stenotype College, also a former graduate of Pitman’s in London, Prafulla Rajgor of the City and Guilds wrote, “This medal proves that your candidate is exceptional…… an achievement to be proud of.”

Rachael, an O-Level graduate of St Francois College, entered the Stenotype College in 2003 and completed a course in English for Business Communications, English for Office Skills, Office Procedure and Typing. She is now employed as a secretary with Rustech Services in San Fernando

The soft-spoken, 27-year-old, who is “very proud” says, “I really didn’t expect it.” Since Rachael plans to continue in the secretarial field which she enjoys, she still must learn one more subject, shorthand. Some teachers have eliminated this subject from their courses, said Jardine who has been teaching for 42 years.

“Some of us have stopped teaching shorthand and instead have been taking the students straight to the computer now. It’s the same with typing, but I still make my students master the keyboard of a typewriter, although all exams are done on the computer.”

According to Jardine, Rachael “applied herself well. Business English teaches how to write letters, understand various expressions in letter writing so that you can communicate more effectively at the office. With the help of past papers throughout the course, the students learn how to solve problems in all office situations, and this is terrific.”

Still on the subject of shorthand, Jardine thinks, “It is still a very important subject as some offices are still requesting at least 80 words per minute as a criteria for employment as a secretary, so a lot of girls are now coming back on afternoons to learn shorthand.”

Rachael, whose hobby is reading, is the eldest of Brian and Villanova de Souza’s four children.