Youth Services Commemorates Job Program for Youths
A closing ceremony was held today to commemorate a programme that helped over fifty young people to receive job training and summer employment. It is an initiative under the Department of Youth Services that seeks to develop professional skills and help students earn during their vacation. News Five stopped in at the closing event and spoke with the organizer and one of the participants.
Shawn Saldano, Deputy PR, DYS
“The job creation and enterprise unit has come up with the PEP program; the practical employment program for over three years and this again is an initiative where we have employed fifty five young persons between sixteen to twenty five so that they can go out in the work place and explore that professional characteristic and develop on their work ethics. This is an opportunity that the department endorses and we continue to do it for young people. For those young people who have to go back high school, well they go back to high school and they can reapply and for those who have graduated and are pursuing night schools then some businesses have expressed that they want these young persons to stay on for a while. So that is the overall experience for them that the businesses have fallen in love with and so they decided to keep them on.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, some of them will remain employed and will be earning an income?”
Shawn Saldano
Shawn Saldano
“Yes and that becomes an asset for the young people- the youth population- because it means that another person has come off the street and will be engaging in positive activities so this program open various opportunities but not by itself, and we thank all sponsors and to see the success of all persons involved in something like this.”
Courteney Zelaya, Participant
“I had a nice experience at NARCI. I was placed at NARCI. I had an idea more or less of the work force and the hands on insight of what my career is at NARCI. It was amazing. It was a nice experience.”
Andrea Polanco
“Talk to me about what you learnt there?”
Courteney Zelaya
Courteney Zelaya, Participant
“I learnt organizing, time management, planning. I felt like sculpted me into becoming a very equipped person because the work that I was doing it would applied to my field because I am social work. In social work, it comes with dealing with children but also, it comes with planning and organizing before dealing with the child, so it was very helpful.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, you’re going to school as well?”
Courteney Zelaya
“Yes. I am attending UB. This is my second year but this is just like a summer job to keep my mind fully focused and something for right now.”
Andrea Polanco
“And of course it probably helped you a bit with your fees to earn a little?”
Courteney Zelaya
“Yes because we got a little stipend for the month and it very well helped me because like we have to rent books at UB, so to pay for books and put towards some kind of fee. It was very helpful.”
Andrea Polanco
“How long have you been with the program?”
Courteney Zelaya
“For a month, this was my first time.”
Andrea Polanco
“Would you recommend it to others?”
Courteney Zelaya
“Of course, this was an amazing experience. I would definitely recommend it to students, to youths. It’s very nice and helpful.”
