St Michael’s hosts first youth career workshop

The St Michael’s RC Church in Maracas, St Joseph, hosted its first-ever career workshop for youths of the parish on Saturday, April 11, and Saturday 18. The two-day event aimed at supporting youth in the community with career advice and guidance took place in the parish hall and was attended by over 32 eager participants.

The initiative was spearheaded by Camille Johnson (Coordinator) and a group of professionals from the parish, including Chantal Greaves-Cowan, Dr Roland Baptiste, Joel-Ann Cook-Walcott, Cristina Bermudez-Lucky and Camille Alfonso Ferguson in collaboration with parish priest, Fr Mikhail Woodruffe O Carm.

The workshop featured practical sessions on resumé preparation, career/vocational guidance and mock interviews, all facilitated by experienced HR and other professionals.

The motivation for the workshop was the keen desire to support and empower youth in the Maracas Valley to make informed decisions about education and career pathways and thereby contribute to their overall personal development.

The hands-on, interactive design of the workshop was intended to assist participants in discovering their strengths, exploring aligned career options, and developing practical action plans towards their goals.

Overall, it is hoped that the initiative will support the community by fostering the development of motivated, goal-oriented and employable young citizens.

The practical design of the workshop included ‘self-discovery’ sessions and ‘real-world’ interview experiences offering constructive feedback and insights from experienced industry practitioners.

Participants were assisted in bridging the gap between academic preparation and workplace expectations and reported being enthusiastic about interacting with interviewers in professional scenarios and practising their communication skills. As one participant shared, “it showed me how to dress, act and communicate,” while another enthused, “I got an inside perspective on the career I’m pursuing.” In another participant’s words, the session on ‘self-discovery’ enabled her to “realise that when choosing a career, I should choose what I am most passionate about.”

In addition, for participants interested in setting up their own businesses, the session on entrepreneurship provided practical information on conceptualising future goals, business planning, and the realities of running and sustaining a successful business.

The overwhelmingly positive feedback including calls for: continued support with resumé writing, a full repeat of this year’s event, and possibly even a mentorship programme, are just some of the exciting possibilities for the future.

The organising team wishes to extend special thanks to Fr Woodruffe for his leadership and unstinting support, to the volunteers who so generously contributed of their time and talents, and most especially, to the youth of the parish whose commitment and enthusiasm made the event such a success. We are proud of you.

— Camille Johnson