Scarborough student balances school and welding business

Scarborough Secondary student Dejean Lewis, 18, has been described as a role model for other young people.

With excellent school grades, his own business and a plan for his career, he seems to fit that description perfectly.

But Lewis still believes he has a long way to go before being given that status.

The Parlatuvier teenager topped the country in mechanical engineering in the 2019 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams.

He excelled in the subject even though he only started it at age 15.

"I enjoyed it a lot. Before that, I was excited to start the subject," he said.

Despite initially not even having a theory teacher, Lewis was fascinated by the topic. He said he realised he was really good at it when the theory teacher Tyrone Moses came on board to join Mr Joefield (who taught the practical aspects).

"That was when I realised that field was for me."

Lewis, being an industrious person, soon sought to monetise his skill, and Precision Built.TT was born.

His company offers a wide range of services, including welding; fabrication; restorating and repairing gates; burglarproofing, railings; custom builds and designs.

"I really came up with the idea a year after I got the CSEC results," he recalled. "One night I was thinking that I could really start this thing and make it into a business and grow from there."He already has ideas for that growth.

"This is not the final stage of the business. I have a lot more planned. It's actually supposed to be a partly automotive business and that's in the future."

Lewis, originally from Castara, said business has been good so far, as there isn't much competition.

"Yes, I believe I am the only person doing this on my side of the island. On the north side of Tobago, there are probably only two other people."

He said people aren't perturbed by his age and the reviews have been good. In fact, he gets a lot of his jobs via word of mouth.

"A lot of people that come to me are getting information from other people who I've done jobs for. It's customers telling people about me. That was before I even came up with a business name."

The enterprising Lewis even bought all his equipment for himself.

"I've been saving towards this from since before I finished fifth form.,,I hadn't come up with the idea yet, but I'd been saving to put into a business."

Asked how difficult it is to balance schoolwork with his business, Lewis said, "I actually have a daily schedule, in which I do most of my business work during the day, and studies at night. Studying at night helps me to be more focused due to less distraction from the environment."

Lewis, who studied information technology, tourism studies, Caribbean studies and entrepreneurship in Form Six, is hoping to study computer science at UWI, St Augustine.

He said computer skills are essential for the future.

"I did some research, and a way to separate myself from other people in this field is to look at the future of the business...large companies like Tesla, all these foreign companies, one of the most required degrees is computer science.

"A lot of stuff is computerised in the simple machine shop."

Lewis praised the his family for helping him achieve his dreams.

"They give me a lot of support – every way they can support. They are impressed, surprised, they can't sleep."

He said his brother Darion and father, Leon, help him a lot in his shop.

Lewis's company has also motivated his friends, who are also business-oriented, to give more effort to their own small enterprises.

Amid the pandemic and loss of jobs all around, Lewis does not take for granted what he has achieved.

"It's a blessing, because a lot of people (are) out of jobs and a lot of people tell me they want to start a business, but they just don't know what they should get into. They're not sure what is their skill – they haven't found their skill as yet.

"I see it as a blessing that I've found my skill and I know exactly what I want to do."