The second cohort of trainees for the year 2020 who successfully completed the ‘Prepare for Work Programme,’ realised by The Guy Morel Institute, in collaboration with the Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs, on Friday received their certificates.

The group of over 20 trainees were presented with their certificates by Minister Patricia Francourt and director general for employment programmes, Letimie Dookley, in a brief ceremony held at the institute.

Executive director of The Guy Morel Institute (TGMI), Shella Mohideen, during her opening remarks, thanked the ministry for having seen the importance of giving a second chance to students who are often labelled as ‘school leavers’ or ‘school dropouts’.

“At the TGMI, this is the fourth cohort that we are working with, and when you take the time to work with these groups of youth, the negative perceptions that people have about ‘school dropouts’ is not what we see. The majority of the students are willing to give themselves a second chance,” Mrs Mohideen noted.

Mrs Mohideen outlining some of the reasons students on the programme opt to leave school or not progress further as namely, bullying, difficulties in adapting to the academic curriculum, and high entry criteria for post-secondary institutions.She seized the opportunity to pronounce some encouraging words and to motivate the studentscalling on them to make use of their newly-acquired skills and knowledge to keep working on themselves, their confidence and self-development going forward in their lives.

In concluding, Mrs Mohideen commended the Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs’ efforts towards localisation of posts. She however also urged that they consider Seychellois youth and establish a framework to train young people and involve them in succession plans. Mrs Mohideen also appealed to the Ministry of Education to review entry criteria for certain courses, especially those that have a major practical component, to ensure that no young people are left behind.

Similarly, Minister Francourt, in addressing the students congratulated them on having successfully completed the programmeand for their hard work and dedication.

“This programme has been implemented especially for your needs. The department of employment has made a commitment to give each youth an opportunity to flourish in life. We also believe in second chances. We will continue to work harder than ever to give you all the support possible. We ask that organisationsand those who are directly related or work directly with the youth, to unite and come together to help you become more resilient and productive,” Minister Francourt stated, thanking all who are working to ensure the programme is a success.

The Prepare for Work Programme is a 21-day training, spread out over two months, which serves to provide those taking part with the right skills, knowledge and attitude to navigate the world of workor pursue their entrepreneurial or business dream.

A key element of the programme is its transformational goal, which complements the efforts of the Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs to transform participants on the programme into productive and responsible citizens who will strive to contribute to overall societal development.

The programme participants have over the course of the training acquired both personal and professional skills including self-awareness, the importance of having a positive mindset and behaviour, how to discover one’s purpose and develop a personal vision. In addition to professional skills such as ethics in the workplace, information technology (IT) and business etiquette, participants also had the opportunity to learn about preparing for entrepreneurshipentailing modules about skills and development, innovation, the business environment and marketing essentials.

Laura Pillay