Allison Hidalgo
Allison has spent 10 years in the tourism industry as a photographer, tour guide and later advanced to operations manager. She is very proud of her Caymanian heritage, and loves showing visitors the natural beauty, culture and people.
Through Inspire Cayman Training she was able to advance her career through internationally recognised yacht training. She is currently employed in the recruitment/immigration services industry, where she is able to use the customer service skills she acquired.
The advice Allison would give to young Caymanians entering the watersports industry is to educate themselves and learn all they can about the ocean and boat safety.
Antwoine Powell
Antowine is passionate about the continuously evolving Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) industry. He is proud of how far he has come in just a year and a half.
Antwoine enrolled at Inspire Cayman Training with a scholarship to complete training in career development and construction. That is when Polar Bear took him on to continue his training through NexTech. He aspires to become a fully-certified AC technician soon.
He encourages more Caymanians, especially women, to enter the industry. Although a lot of experience is not required to start, individuals will need to be patient and learn at their own pace as they progress through the industry, just as he is doing.
De-Vante Wright
De-Vante went on a primary school trip where he rode in a fire truck for the first time. This is where his dream to be a firefighter sparked. As he got older, his career path shifted to becoming a professional basketball player. That ended abruptly in 2013 when he was diagnosed with Rosai-Dorfman disease. Michael Myles from Inspire Cayman challenged De-Vante in 2015 to develop a career and provided training and work experience to motivate him.
De-Vante returned to his childhood dream when he joined the Cayman Islands Fire Service in 2019. His career is exciting because when called upon, he can help to save a life or property, making Cayman a safer place.
He encourages other Caymanians to enter his field to help save lives. Being physically and mentally prepared for fighting fires can be intense. But there are training opportunities in the Fire Service for those interested.
Joshua Smith
Joshua works as a heavy equipment operator at Island Recycling. He began his career after receiving a scholarship from Inspire Cayman Training. Joshua is passionate about driving heavy equipment. He loves that he can make a living while cleaning up the islands and learning new skills.
He aspires to own his own heavy equipment business one day, after seeing some of his relatives do very well in the industry.
Joshua believes that young Caymanians entering the field will find themselves in a rewarding career. The career not only allows persons to make good money and support their families but also develop and grow new skills.
Kameron D’Hue
Kameron is a young Caymanian who was born and raised in the district of West Bay. Kameron has always excelled in his studies but knew that the office environment was not his calling. He decided to apply to Inspire Cayman where he contemplated different trade opportunities.
Kameron decided to focus on diving because he saw the gap in the people around him. He believes that becoming a dive instructor was the best decision he made. He is motivated every day because no two days are the same.
He continues to encourage Caymanians to not be afraid of the ocean and to maximise the limitless opportunities in the local dive industry.
Lakeisha Mason
Lakeisha is a Combination Plans Analyst with the Department of Planning. She makes sure all new developments conform to Cayman’s building codes. She is presently pursuing licensure in all construction disciplines including architectural, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical.
Lakeisha was the first female at the UCCI to gain an Associate degree in Engineering with specialisation in technology. She went on to gain a bachelor’s and master’s degree.
With these achievements, Lakeisha hopes to encourage young Caymanians to pursue careers in the construction field. She would advise interested persons to find a mentor in their chosen industry, even before they go abroad for studies.
