Over one hundred well-dressed students from the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School turned up at a two-day workshop on Monday, June 23, as if they had begun to work in various sectors of the job market for the first time.
The workshop was in fact a teaching tool, this year, to prepare them for the annual Anguilla Summer Placement Programme – an arrangement between the school’s Career Unit and the Labour Department. The job-training students, including 5th and 6th formers, were welcomed at the Blue Ridge Convention Centre by Ms Carmencita Davis, Deputy Labour Commissioner, who outlined the arrangements for the workshop including the list of presenters and the subjects of the lectures.
Chief Minister and Minister of Labour, Mr Hubert Hughes, spoke to the students about the labour policies of the Anguilla Government, and the role of the Labour Department as distinct from that of a bargaining trade labour union. “The role of the Labour Office is to ensure that Anguillians get first place in the labour market,” he said, but noted that if they were not in a position to take up certain job opportunities, the Labour Department was obliged to issue work permits to expatriate persons to bolster the workforce.
He said the role of the Government was to develop the economy and to create jobs for the people of Anguilla. He noted, however, that due to the difficult economic situation over the past four years, the Government was unable to provide jobs “for endless schoolchildren.” He told the students that they were required to prepare themselves professionally to take up jobs on the island when they were created, and that the workshop they were attending was an important way of preparing them for the job market.
Mr Reid, the Deputy Governor, who has delegated responsibility for the management of the Anguilla Public Service, outlined a number of issues which he considered relevant to ensure the successful inclusion of the students in the workforce, on leaving school. These issues, because of their importance, are published separately elsewhere in this edition of The Anguillian.
The topics and presenters at the workshop were as follows: Professionalism: Dr Phyllis Fleming-Banks (Sociologist/Human Resource Development Consultant); Customer Service: Mr Christopher Richardson (Executive Assistant Manager, CuisinArt Golf Resort and Spa); Gender in Workplace: Dr Ronya Foy-Connor (Gender Development Coordinator, Ministry of Home Affairs); Anguilla Community College: Mrs Shellecia Brooks-Johnson (Assistant Registrar Marketing, Communications Students Services and Alumni); How Social Media Defines You: Mr Colwayne Pickering, ICT Sales Manager/Operations Manager, Digicel Anguilla); Work Ethics: Ms Carla C Rogers (Deputy Director/Human Resource Manager, Department of Public Administration); Principles of Delegation: Mr Kennedy Hodge; Anger Manager: Dr Linda Banks, (Clinical Psychologist); Using Skills To Make A Living: Mr David Carty (Professional Boat-builder); Communications in the Workplace: Mrs Sandra York-Gumbs (Financial/Administrative Manager, Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Housing); and Dress for the Occasion: Ms Merlyn Rogers (Human Resource Manager, Anguilla Air and Seaports Authority).
The students were presented with certificates at the end of the two-day workshop.
Meanwhile, according to a release from the Careers Unit, out of a total of 137 registered students for the Anguilla Summer Placement Programme, 112 were placed in areas across the public and private sectors. The release continued:
“This year, only nine students expressed an interest in the field of Education and each was given a three-week stint in classrooms at five of the six Government Primary Schools. One preschool came on board for the second time during the existence of the programme. The largest group of student placements were attached to the Health Authority with a total of 25 students placed in various areas within the various departments.
“The Summer Placement Programme exposes students to the workforce and provides them with valuable experience as they enter another phase of their life. At this time, the Careers Unit is still working on finding more student placements and is appealing to companies and business owners in Anguilla to contact the unit if they wish to participate.
“The Anguilla Careers and Guidance Unit and the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School wish to express sincerest thanks to the Government Departments, as well as the Private Sector, for once again coming on board and helping to give youths a positive working experience.”
