Young people being prepared for World of Work

 

Young people may face a range of challenges as they leave school and are on the job hunt.
 
To remedy this, Regional Management Services (RMS) Inc. is collaborating with the National Initiative for Service Excellence (NISE) and the Human Resources Management Association of Barbados (HRMAB) to host the inaugural World of Work Showcase on Monday, June 20 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Conference Centre.
 
Through this event, RMS Inc. – an approved training provider – will cater to students from both government and private secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
 
During the press launch on Tuesday, Dennis De Peiza, Managing Director and Lead Consultant of RMS Inc., said that the showcase aims to attract persons’ 35 years old and under.
 
“We are looking to see how we can make a significant impact in terms of trying to help Barbados to be more competitive. To address the whole question of workplace excellence – at the end of the day try to make sure that we are marketable in terms of our workforce,” he stated.
 
Furthermore, the all-day event which gets underway at 9:30 a.m. will feature the launch of the book “Introduction to the World of Work”; Training Workshops; Job Recruitment Fair; Training Opportunities and Continued Education Case and Career Opportunities Show.
 
“We want to ensure that persons entering the world of work are adequately prepared… Through the showcase we will introduce participants to the accepted standards to be followed by entrants to the world of work; introduce them to possible job and career opportunities; and to available selected avenues for training and continuing education studies… therefore making sure that we have a workforce that is second to none,” he said.
 
With hopes of attracting some 700 young people, De Peiza is appealing to the various training institutions across Barbados to use the event as an opportunity to set up, distribute information and get persons registered for their programmes. He is also appealing to the private sector to get involved. “There are opportunities for employers or agencies… come set up and interface directly with our young people.”
Kim Tudor, CEO of NISE stressed that there is a need to ensure that young people are prepared appropriately for the world of work.
 
“We have a vision of the ideal Caribbean citizen, a vision of what we would like our young persons coming out of school and entering the world to look like and to be – and I think that we as a nation should work towards that. We know what the deficiencies are …We have a vision that a young person coming into the word of work should be well-mannered and prepared, and therefore as a country we have a duty to prepare them,” she stated.
 
Donna Hope, Vice-President of HRMAB pointed out that times have changed.
 
“In prior years when an individual came into your office for an interview, they were always well dressed…you knew they were there for an interview. The first words out of their mouth was good morning – they had manners – that is something that is lacking in our young people right now and we have to look at that… Some people come into the office and sit without waiting to be invited to sit. With NISE on board with this programme, we would hope that can make a very strong impact where our young people are concerned – how they attend an interview and what is expected of them.” 
 
NISE will be co-ordinating the registration process. There is a fee of $10 per participant who will each receive a copy of the “Introduction to the World of Work”. (TL)

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