Following the introduction of the new Year 12 programme at the Cayman Islands Further Education Centre last September, there has been much to celebrate through the success of the Work Experience programme.
Students attend work experience for two days a week throughout the school year, as a result of the support of local businesses and government departments.
Margaret Jackson, head of career service and acting deputy director at the Further Education Centre said, “These experiences gave our young people the opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of the responsibility of being employed. Invaluable skills such as good communication skills, customer service and learning to use one’s initiative would be very difficult to teach in the classroom.
“We are extremely grateful to all the businesses and departments that have supported this initiative,” Mrs. Jackson said. “The philosophy is there is no job without experience and no experience comes without a job.”
Following completion of the first year of the programme, many students were offered the opportunity to stay with their employers on summer internships. Some have also been offered full-time positions, while others have been awarded scholarships, and several are continuing with companies on a part-time basis.
“We are extremely proud of the first destination success the [centre’s] students have achieved,” said Sarah McDougal, a member of the teaching and career service staff at the Further Education Centre.
Year 12 students followed a variety of Business Training, Enterprise Council and Institute of Motor Industry qualifications, studying for three days a week at school.
“These are regarded as being high-level vocational qualifications and complement the work experience programme through helping students to develop their job readiness and employability skills, which are especially important in the current economic climate,” said Mrs. Jackson.
Courses planned for this school year include creative media, business, leisure and tourism, health and social care, child care, motor vehicle and information technology.
For more details or to assist by offering work experience placements for young people, contact the Career Service at 925-5424.
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