SINCE its launch in September 2021 by Jahmel Brown, the Commuters Opportunity Hub has served more than 2,000 students and provided over 6,000 opportunities to tertiary students, primarily at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona.

The hub, which is the largest and longest connector on UWI’s campus, is facilitated through WhatsApp and Telegram groups. It offers jobs, scholarships, internships, volunteer work possibilities, competitions, as well as regional and global opportunities to help students gain valuable experience and financial support while pursuing their respective degrees.

According to Brown, the initiative was borne out of his own struggles as an inner-city youngster from Tower Hill in Waterhouse, St Andrew, who did not have the support and guidance needed during high school.

Help and mentorship came during his undergraduate years and this has propelled him to pay it forward for others.

“In receiving support and being motivated by others, I was able to become a success story and soon after, a youth leader who wanted to impact other youths by highlighting all the opportunities that exist in Jamaica, the region, and the world to help all students at the university,” Brown, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy and Management told Career & Education.

The hub has provided everything from pizza — 30,000 from Domino’s over two years — to helping students build the networks they will need later in life. There is also thorough vetting of the opportunities the hub identifies for students, a way to limit the possibility of fraudulent schemes. Having all these opportunities in one centralised location means students have greater access to a pool of resources right at their fingertips.

The work done by the hub contributed to Brown receiving The UWI’s highest award for student leadership – the Premier Award.

He reckons that social media has played a crucial role in bridging the divide in transforming lives.

“We often hear about youths being the future, but what opportunities exist to prepare them for the future is something often left out in that vague statement often used,” said the 22-year-old. “I welcome the power of social media to transform the lives of youths, by giving them opportunities they would not find by themselves or even notice while saving them time in gaining valuable resources in honing their skills.”

The testimonials from students solidify the impact that the hub has had on their lives.

“A big part of my goals is to grow my skills and develop myself more in various areas, and the Opportunity Hub provided several opportunities for me to apply myself,” said 20-year-old Jaheim Graham, a public relations executive.

He pointed to his recent acceptance into the Jamaican Youth through Empowerment and Training Programme which helps Jamaican youths with upskilling and practising in various areas that are currently in high demand.

“There is a wide variety of soft and hard skills training involved and I am eager for the many opportunities it will bring! But most importantly, I would never have been made aware of this, and many other initiatives, opportunities and programmes, had it not been for the Opportunity Hub. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude for the work they have done and look forward to the work they will continue doing,” Graham added.

Nineteen-year-old biochemistry major Anecia Burton is also grateful for the opportunities she has received.

“This, indeed, is a true lifesaver. Just the way you guys provide us with daily job updates gives me hope that I can make money and there’s something out there for everyone. It was through this very same hub I got my first job as an executive assistant at Pulse Investments Limited, and I must say it has really helped me with expenses over the past month. Thank you so much,” she said to Brown and his team.

There was also high praise from literature major 22-year-old Aaliyah Lunan.

“I signed up for a UNESCO TRANSCULTURA opportunity that I saw in the Commuters Hub, and I was accepted. From among more than 300 applicants I was one of 44, I think, to receive the scholarship to do the programme. The programme itself was about the creative and cultural industries in the Caribbean and how to obtain funding and grants to pursue projects in that industry,” she explained.

Others highlighted benefits such as ease and access in sourcing jobs, legitimacy and wide cross-sections of jobs, and reduced stress and anxiety in job hunting.

Brown, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in international public and development management, said his long-term goal is to see the hub expand to serve a wider population of students.

“What makes the Commuters Opportunity Hub special is that it provides a large number of resources in place consistently for students to always take advantage of. It is like Netflix, but instead of shows, you have a vast amount of opportunities at your disposal,” he explained.

Brown also said that he hopes to continue an initiative – Scholarship Week – that he launched during his undergraduate years.

“The initial idea behind this event was to help students at The UWI, Mona campus prepare for and secure scholarships. The event was first held last year for four consecutive days under several themes such as finding a scholarship that works for you, writing a winning scholarship essay, tackling that scholarship interview, and building your professional brand,” he said.

“This event assisted over 690 university students to hone their skills during the COVID-19 pandemic in gaining scholarships. Since then, many have been shortlisted as well as won several scholarships to aid their studies. This year’s staging [May 18-20] is going to be even more amazing as we plan to make it much bigger to help more students. Scholarship experts such as Rhodes Scholars, among others, will be giving tips and suggestions to help students prepare for as well as secure scholarships,” added Brown.

His exposure to student leadership has since blossomed into youth leadership, which has seen him working with and meeting a number of Caribbean and world leaders, including politicians. He has served as youth advocate for the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network and a national youth parliamentarian for Jamaica. Brown’s work also extends regionally. He was selected as a Caribbean Youth Fellow last year by the International Republican Institute and he is also as a published youth researcher by UNESCO. On the international scene, he is a Harvard University Aspire Leader as well as a member of the UNESCO Global Youth Community.