Youths learn how to land a job
The initiative known as Youth for the Future has never been short of publicity…but beyond the hype of buzzwords like “empowerment,” “technology transfer” and “entrepreneurial training,” there are questions about just how effective the programme has been. Today, News 5’s Patrick Jones attended the final session of a three week seminar designed to teach young people how to land a job. But when the seminar was over, News 5 went one step further…and set up a series of mock job interviews to see if the training really made a difference.
Patrick Jones, Reporting
After weeks learning the basics of selling themselves to prospective employers, these seven young men and women say they are ready to take on the challenge of changing their unemployment status. Roderick Matura, who is trying to get back on his feet after a nearly fatal beating, and Sandra Young, who did not finish High School, are interviewing for a fictitious post of office assistant with BRAVO Motors. General Manager Eddie Bouloy has agreed to assist with a real-world test.
Eddie Bouloy, General Manager, Bravo Motors
“You are applying for the job of Office Assistant, what makes you want to work here at Bravo Motors?”
Sandra Young, Seeking Employment
?Well, the reason why I want to work at Bravo Motors is because I hear about this place a long time. This is my first time here. I just passed on the highway and see the place. Every time you hear about bravo motors they are promoting some type of vehicle or giving some type of offer to different kind of cancer society whatever.?
Eddie Bouloy
?So you want to be a part of a winning team??
Sandra Young
?A part of a winning team yes.?
Sandra Young
?I?m a very friendly person. I like to deal with people and I like challenges. So, whatever it takes for me to do, I don?t mind try my best and do whatever I have to do. And I like to learn a lot of thing.?
Eddie Bouloy
“That?s another question I was going to ask you. If there is some skill that you don?t know or using some sort of machine, so you find that you are a fast learner? And are you able to work together with a group, as part of a team?”
Sandra Young
?Yes sir, I?m willing to work with a group.?
Eddie Bouloy
?Now where would you like to see yourself in five years? Where do you want to go? What do you want to do in life??
Sandra Young
?Well in the future I would like to be a secretary. But due to my qualification that I have now I am seeking for office assistant and I will go higher from there.?
After the interview, Young gave her impression of how the encounter went.
Sandra Young, Seeking Employment
?It was great, the interview was great. It was basically some of the same questions that they asked me before, so I knew how to answer the questions, so it wasn?t hard and it was a challenge.?
?When I reached into Mr. Bouloy?s office it was like I was sitting down with a friend. And he asked me a question and I just respond as a friend. I didn?t feel nervous that much.?
And then it was time for the next applicant to take his place in the hot seat.
Eddie Bouloy
?You have applied for the job of office assistant, what makes you want to work here at Bravo Motors?”
Roderick Matura, Seeking Employment
?Well first of all I am very much interested in learning whatever needs to be learnt here and I am willing to put my utmost into whatever is here to learn and I want to be effective in whatever I am doing here in my job.?
Eddie Bouloy
?How familiar are you with Belize City? Are you familiar with the different business locations??
Roderick Matura
?I am very much familiar with a lot of places because before, I was working with Federal Express and I was basically doing that kind of job.?
Eddie Bouloy
?What office skills do you have, what office equipment do you know to use? What skills do you bring to this job??
Roderick Matura
?Well basically I know to manipulate behind a computer. I know basically how to deal with different people in the office and so forth.?
Eddie Bouloy
?Trevor where do you want to see yourself five years from now??
Roderick Matura
?Five years from now, sir, I would basically, having the mentality on a ladder. I am starting from here. And I want to motivate myself to the best standard that I can carry myself to you know.?
Roderick Matura
?The interview was excellent. I felt very much good.
?At first I wasn?t very much expecting what they were going to ask me, but I felt prepared enough.?
That preparation over the last three weeks was part of a computer and employment application training course conducted by Merilyn Young of the Ministry of Human Development. After reviewing the tape of the interviews, Young told News 5, that while improvements are necessary, the applicants did very well.
Merilyn Young, Director, Human Resources Development
?Compared to when they first came to the programme and now I have seen quite a bit of changes with them. For example the way they are dressed for the interview. Sandra doesn?t really dress that way and she really went all out for the interview. So I have to give credit for that. Roderick also, he usually leaves his shirt loose and not tucked in and to see them take that initiative into the interview is fine. I have to say also that they were very courteous; the way they answered the questions. I think we still need to work with them on certain responses, I don?t know if that was because they were probably nervous.?
Bouloy says the performance of Young and Matura left him impressed and said the training course is the right way to go for prospective employees.
Eddie Bouloy
?Both candidates seem to have a higher level of preparedness than the average person coming in here for a job. They both seem keen and eager and ready to take any task that would be put in front of them, which is a good thing because we interview a lot of people and the unfortunate reality of the fact is that there are a lot of people out there looking for a jobs, but there is also a lot of unemployable people, people that just don?t have any basic skills. Or don?t have any idea what a job is about. So I was happy to see that both of these two candidates seem to have that keen interest and vigour about the in trying to get a job.?
So which of the two would get a job at Bravo Motors?
Eddie Bouloy
?Both candidates appeared to be well prepared for the job both expressed an interest in, a willingness to learn which is important because as human beings, that is the only way we are going to progress. I would call it an even draw. I would prefer not to pick one over the other because I think both were very well prepared.?
Patrick Jones, for News 5.
The training course was sponsored by the Youth Enterprise Unit of the Youth for the Future Secretariat. If you would like to interview either of the subjects of our story or any of the other five participants, you can contact Merilyn Young at the Ministry of Human Development at telephone number 610-2033. Our thanks to Eddie Bouloy and the staff of Bravo Motors for facilitating us with coverage of this story.
