The Anguilla Community College, in partnership with a number of public and private sector personnel, including the very active Department of Youth and Culture, has turned out a number of young people – for the job market – as teaching assistants and office employees.
The youngsters graduated towards the end of January after a three-day packed course during which they were exposed to various lectures and forms of training.
“This is the Youth Exposure component of the Anguilla Service Corps. It is a programme designed to encourage young persons to get involved in national volunteerism,” Mr. Bren Romney, Director of Youth and Culture told The Anguillian. “Each young person here will be placed in a Government Department or in a classroom as a Teaching Assistant. The programme is part of the Anti-Violence Strategy to find creative ways to provide on-going support to educational institutions in terms of providing Teaching Assistants – and also to actively engage young persons, seeking employment, in activities that would improve their employability prospects in the long term.
“What we have here are a number of young people who were trained over a period of three days in terms of a series of activities designed to prepare them for volunteer attachments…”
Dr. LeRoy Hill, Dean of the Anguilla Community College, commented: “Our role is part of our community engagement. We want to reach out and ensure that we are an equal partner in this effort because we are also engaged in preparing persons in volunteering as there is so much we can get back when we give out in terms of the community. As a Community College, it is our role to ensure that we are active in assisting the Department of Youth and Culture meet the outcomes in terms of youth development, youth training and on-going professional development.
“It has an increasingly and exciting prospect for us because we feel that there are so many things we can do. We are certainly enamoured by the appreciation and the efforts of the department, and the great team it has put forward for this training. We thank all concerned for doing this at this time.”
President of the College, Professor Delroy Louden, had this to say: “These youngsters are an exciting group of emerging young leaders in whom we have placed a lot of faith so we have to continue to prepare them in all aspects of life – not only academic skills, but social skills as well.
“We see them as part of our outreach efforts which can lead to great things. We want to start in Anguilla, but through linkages and collaborations there are opportunities in the region and elsewhere which we will explore on their behalf. I think it is encouraging that they have put so much into it at a time when things are difficult in the economy. We are here to serve the people of Anguilla including these youngsters.”
Those trained as Teaching Assistants were lectured by the following persons and in the following subject areas: Mrs. Rhonda Connor: The Role and Expectations of a Teaching Assistant; Mrs. Michal Romney: Reading & Writing Strategies; Dr. Samuel Daniel: Child Development; Mrs. Jacqueline Jeffrey-Connor: Working with the Child with Special Needs; Mrs. Tracelyn Hamilton: Language and other barriers in the schools of Anguilla; Mr. Clive Smith: Safeguarding the welfare of the Child; Mr. Michael Sellekie: School Policies & Procedures; Mrs. Chanelle Petty Barrett: Legal Do’s and Don’ts; Mrs. Rita Celestine Carty: Promoting Positive Classroom Management; Mr. Quincy Harrigan: Reports and Discussion on Case Studies; School Policies & Procedures and Completion of Workbooks; and Dr. LeRoy Hill: Reflection & Evaluation.
The lecturers and the subject areas for the Youth Exposure Volunteers included the following: Ms. Jacqueline Adonis: Preparing for Work Placement; Dr. LeRoy Hill: Working as a Volunteer; Mrs. Michal Romney: Positive Attitudes & Behaviours at Work; Solving Work-related Problems and Building Relationships with Colleagues; Mrs. Janis McKeag-Richardson: Health & Safety at Work; and Dr. LeRoy Hill: Working in a Team.
