100 students learn work, life skills in WOW programme

One hundred participants enrolled in this year’s World of Work (WOW) at the Division of Community Development conference room, Glen Road, are learning skills to equip them for the world of work. And come August 6, they would get a chance to put these skills and knowledge into practice as they are placed in vacation jobs.

Julien Skeete, Youth Programme Coordinator with the Division of Sport and Youth Affairs, which is hosting the programme, said WOW gives students opportunities for vacation jobs, while helping them to identify and embark on career paths.

He said the students are taught skills such as resume writing, communication skills, public speaking, employee/employer relations and networking.

“We would have included a session this year that looks specifically at treats with leveraging and looking at social media, because we know that this is one of the realities for this age group that we would have targeted, which is 16 to 18,” he said.

“For the benefit of the trainees, we have introduced an interview component and that follows the week of training. The interviews will be conducted in such a manner that the students will receive the requisite feedback in terms of their growth and development,’ he said.

Just halfway through the programme on Wednesday, participants were eager to share what knowledge and skills they were acquiring in the programme.

“I learnt the importance of budgeting, and about investments, and how the stock market works,” said Michael Spencer.

For Cinnamon Fletcher, the sessions taught her how to be an effective entrepreneur and leader, market a business on social media, create a great financial plan in terms of opening a business and savings, and how to write a great resume writing and dress for an interview.

“I have learnt how young persons can take resources and expand them into greater things. I also learnt how to write a great resume and the steps for writing a good resume,” said Kershelle Pierre.

For Abdallah Osmond, the knowledge gained was as “different work ethics and how to sell myself as a youth getting into the world of work.”

All participants will soon get a chance to put their newly acquired skills and knowledge to work.

“On August 6, we proceed with job placements and that is because we feel after we have trained you and put you through an interview, we want to make that connection with the workspace,” said Skeete.

Now in its ninth year, he said the programme received

over 200 applicants, with half of that making the final cut.

He attributed the success of the programme, and its growth in content and participation over the years to the “simple fact that it contributes directly to the training of our young persons looking at various areas of training in preparation for the world of work.

“Beyond the world of work, it is also preparation for life,” he said.

Skeete said employers, both private and public sector, like that the participants come with an open mind.

“They are just out of school, they are relatively new and in fact they are very happy to get this kind of experience and training and exposure in relation to the World of Work.

“Further to that, I think that one of the ways in which it has been extremely beneficial to our participants is that they come out of school, some are them are between transitioning to university, some of them are also looking at entering the job market for a period of time before they determine what they want to do with their life, and this programme has really helped to add to their experience component,” he said.