OCHO RIOS, St Ann — Summer is off to a productive start for 28 St Ann youngsters who participated in a job readiness workshop, two days of sessions aimed at preparing them to transition into and be efficient in the workplace.

They benefitted from lessons on résumé writing, effective communication skills in the workplace, conflict management, and interview techniques. The workshop, which was executed by the Ministry of Education’s Youth and Adolescent Policy Division, was held at Sandals Golf and Country Club from July 14-15.

“So far the experience has been wonderful. The sessions are very engaging and interactive. My greatest takeaway is that exposure leads to expansion and this is indeed teaching me a lot of things that I need to take into the workplace,” participant Mesheka Sewell told the
Jamaica Observer.

She learnt of the workshop while attending classes at HEART/NSTA and is hoping that with the skills gained from both experiences, she will land a job soon.

Youth empowerment officer in St Ann Angellee Henry-Fennell, who played a major role in staging the event, said the aim is to see all participants gainfully employed.

“I’m hoping to get them into six-week work programmes so they can get a stipend and then job placements right after,” she said.

The event targeted unemployed and underserved youth aged 15-29.

“Those types of youths are our key focus, so we can prepare them for the world of work because we realise that when work opportunities present themselves they have a challenge. They can’t manoeuvre themselves in an interview or write a résumé to position them at the front and attract the eye of the interviewer,” Henry-Fennell told the Observer.

According to senior youth empowerment officer for the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) Region Three, Rhonda Walker Walters their assessments showed a dire need for the programme.

“I’ve been the officer for 18 years and we realise that there was a need for the workshop. The youths wanted some soft skills development and guidance to continue on their growth journey,” said Walker Walters.

Day one of the workshop focused on communications skills, conflict management in the workplace, interview preparation, workplace etiquette, grooming and attire. On the second day youngsters participated in mock interviews as well as networking exercises aimed at building confidence.

“This is important because what we learnt are things that we will need in the workplace. It was also a great way to meet new people and even learn things from them,” participant Junior Jackson told the Observer.

Davia Henningham, who studied animation at University of Technology, saw the workshop as a great way to connect with people in the parish.

“I’m interested in creating a creative community so I thought the workshop would be great for networking. The information that they are passing onto us is a good refresher for me and I am now also more knowledgeable about others things like how to lay out and fix up my résumé,” she said.

Henry-Fennell is proud of the role she played in successfully staging an event that has impacted the lives of so many young people.

“I’ve been planning the event since January. It took a lot of dedication and I want to thank all our sponsors who made it possible. It is a fulfilling and rewarding experience because growing up I didn’t have guidance except for those in my household. So it was important for me to let the young people know that there are people who care for them,” she said.

“The participants have been telling me they’re happy and want to have more of this opportunity in St Ann,” added Henry-Fennell.

The two-day event ended with a property tour of Sandals Ochi Beach Resort where participants learned about its daily operations.