On March 31, 2017, seven employees of the Anguilla Electricity Company Ltd (ANGLEC) were awarded certificates in Supervisory Management from the Anguilla Community College (ACC). The intensive one-week short course was facilitated by ACC’s Director of Hospitality, Ms. Sharon Richardson.
At the brief closing ceremony, which was superbly moderated by Human Resources Assistant, Marva Richardson – Dr. Leroy Hill, Dean and acting President at the ACC, praised the management of ANGLEC for reaching out to the College to help them reach their training needs. ANGLEC has benefitted from standard and customized training at the Anguilla Community College over the past few years, and Dr. Hill anticipated that the partnership would continue to flourish. Most recently, an MOU was signed with Caribbean Electric Utilities Services Corporation (CARILEC) and ACC which will result in further training for ANGLEC’s employees.
In his brief remarks, ANGLEC’s Chief Executive Officer, David Gumbs, thanked the management and staff of ACC for their stellar efforts to make the Supervisory Management training possible. He stated, “For us training is very important. We try to engage in regular training and get as many people exposed to it as possible in various fields.” He congratulated the successful participants and shared, “Training relevant to you is critical. However, outside of all the technical training you can get, it is very important that you get familiarized and exposed to various types of management, leadership, finance, etc., areas, that when you are progressing through the organization you will have to take into consideration. There is a reason why you are here today. You are the next generation of supervisors and managers at ANGLEC. As people retire and leave, we need you to be able to fill the ranks. Things will continue to change and we need to have people who are flexible and nimble in terms of what gaps they can fill – this presents professional and personal opportunities.”
Two participants, Brindley Benn and Leah Hughes, animatedly gave reflections on the training during the closing ceremony. It was apparent that the group had a lot of fun while learning. Course facilitator, Ms. Sharon Richardson, was given high praise by the participants. “You are an amazing facilitator. You know your stuff and you know how to teach it without being boring”, was the consensus of the group.
In her reflections on the training, Ms. Richardson shared, “We realise that management and leadership may not naturally come to everyone, and that some persons have to be groomed to become more effective managers and leaders, so that is why the course was developed around a lot of case studies.” She continued: “There is never too much you can do in leadership because every case is different. We teach the ideals but when you throw in the human element it ends up being a totally different story. Hopefully I gave you the keys and strategies to work through whatever problems you may face as future supervisors and managers.”
Sharon shared congratulations with the participants for their active involvement and enthusiasm, and stated they would go far when given the opportunity to participate and lead. She commended ANGLEC for making training a priority, and noted that for many organisations when faced with difficult times, one of the first things they cut from their budget is training. She concluded, “This is a mistake because when things pick up, you want your staff to be ready. Training is key to every organization.”
The successful participants were Brindley Benn, Marvin Carty, Ron Hodge, Audra Hodge Carty, Leah Hughes, Alwyn Nichols and Anthony Oliver. The supervisors and managers of all participants attended the closing ceremony. Refreshments were also served from ACC’s Zenaida Café which continues to offer catering services to the public.
The Anguilla Community College is committed to facilitating and providing opportunities for training and development. Please stop by the College in George Hill, visit the website at www.acc.edu.ai or contact us at 498-8395/497-2538 to find out more information about how the College can assist you or your organization to meet your training needs.
