Passport2Success class achieves a full house

(CNS): For the first time since the Passport2Success initiative started, every single participant graduated from the most recent class. On Monday 21 July all of the students who started the government sponsored 12 week programme to prepare them for work made it through to the end. This was the 14th group of people who have gone through what is proving to be a helpful initiative, given the mounting problems faced by young Caymanains, in particular, looking for work. Many of the hurdles to employment faced by local workers have been highlighted on CNS recently but this course helps to element the barriers to work that the job-seekers can do something about.

Employment Minister Tara Rivers said the programme is not an easy one. "It is designed to instill a sense of pride and a strong workethic in each person that participates in the programme.” 

The programme’s successes include a 90 percent average rate of graduation, a 32 percent average rate of employment at graduation and a 54 percent average rate of employment 12 months after graduation. 

Shannon Seymour, who coordinates the course on behalf of the ministry, said, “These statistics prove that graduates of Passport2Success are continuing to use the skills they have learned and developed well after they have left the programme. It also proves that the programme is working and helping our young Caymanians obtain employment and also maintain it as many of our graduates have been in jobs for over a year now.” 

Pleased with the success of this class of 24 young people, Seymour said the group set out with determination. “The 14th cohort set out with determination to accomplish several goals. We are extremely proud of everyone who succeeded,"Seymour said.

Winner of the Most Outstanding Participant award, Alfredo Cardoza Chow, spoke about his entry-level job shadowing and work experience.

“When I was placed at my job shadowing, which was at Burger King on the waterfront, I thought it was going to be easy. But what I learned was that the staff at Burger King doesn’t have it as easy as we think. They have to be very specific about hygiene, watching the orders come in, preparing the orders and being very specific so they don’t make mistakes,” he explained.

“I did my internship at Business Solutions Technology Group. My first career interest was accounting, but when I started working in my internship with fibre optics I gained a passion for this type of work. I learned so many things, like how to connect cable boxes, install internet and how to set an antenna. I felt very passionate about this work because my dad is an electrician. The people I worked with were very nice and they took their time to teach me things each day. When I asked questions they were helpful and took their time to explain and answer my questions.  It was a great learning experience for me. I felt proud of myself because I really accomplished something positive on my internship.”

The National Employment Passport2Success Programme is a Ministry of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs initiative that runs three times a year. The employment preparedness course offers a 12 week programme for 17 to 21-year-old Caymanians and a 16 week programme for Caymanian Single Mothers, both designed to enhance workplace readiness skills and increase the employability of its participants. The programme is sponsored by Butterfield Bank and Webster’s Tours.

Each participant attending the course receives practical hands-on training, valuable work experience, better occupational, personal and job-specific skills, as well as gaining a clear idea of what kind of job suits them and a chance to impress potential employers.  Participants receive a weekly stipend (pay) with potential performance related bonuses.

Application forms for Passport2Successand and information about the start of the next programme can be found on their website www.passport2success.ky or contact the National Workforce Development Agency at 945-3114.