On Tuesday, January 30th, the Department of Youth and Culture launched another cycle of Youth Exposure at the Anguilla Community College. This youth program falls under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, and is designed to assist qualified youth in finding employment within the society.
The actual program is preceded by a four-day preparatory workshop at the College. This workshop extended over Tuesday to Friday and included lectures on: Positive Attitudes and Behavior at the Workplace; Self-Management Skills; Solving Work-related Problems; Working in a Team; Personal Presentation in the Workplace; Health & Safety at Work; and Interview Skills.
According to Mr. Bren Romney, Director of Youth and Culture: “This particular program was launched in late 2015, and this is our fourth cycle. In recent years, depending on our budget, we have worked with ten to fifteen young people to prepare them for the workplace. The Minister of Education, the Hon. Evans McNeil Rogers, has asked the department to expand this program and, as a result, we are now working more extensively with about 25 youngsters.”
Mr. Romney noted that with a number this large, there are inherent budgetary constraints, but that his department is working together with the ministry, and the private sector, to eventually place all of them in the island’s workforce.
“Currently,” he said, “out of these 25 young people, there are more than 16 who are already placed in potential jobs. Here is where we provide those who are in the job market for one or two years with an opportunity for an internship. We ask them to volunteer their services at a place of employment, and government provides them with a modest stipend of EC$1,000.00 per month. With that we also provide employability training. We help them with everything that would cater for their success in the job market – everything from: resume writing, letter writing, to interview skills — everything and anything that would empower them in their job search.”
Mr. Romney went on: “So what we are doing today is that we are actually preparing the youth for volunteer placements. Here we bring them together and introduce them to key concepts that would make them effective in the workplace. We want these youth to succeed. We just don’t want to place them in a job, but we want them to function properly in their respective positions, and so we prepare them so that they can operate effectively within the work environment.”
The Anguillian wishes to applaud the efforts of Mr. Romney and the Ministry of Education for making this kind of contribution to the advancement of our youth.
