The Passport2Success training program is looking for its latest round of participants.
The next course, the 15th to be run under the program, begins on Sept. 8 and the application deadline is Friday, Aug. 15, according to a statement released by government last week.
Applicants should be Caymanians between the ages of 17 and 20. Administrators of the Passport2Success program saw every participant graduate this year, a first for the government initiative that launched four years ago, officials said.
The 24 students who completed the 12-week training program took part in a graduation ceremony at the Wharf Restaurant on July 21.
The program offers employment training for school leavers, to help them transition to the workforce for the first time. Students are given hands-on training, work experience and development of occupational, personal and job-specific skills.
Shannon Seymour, of The Wellness Centre which coordinates the program for the Ministry of Education, Employment, and Gender Affairs, congratulated the graduates, saying, “The 14th cohort set out with determination to accomplish several goals. We are extremely proud of everyone who succeeded.”
At the graduation ceremony, the winner of the Most Outstanding Participant Award, Alfredo Cardoza Chow, spoke about his entry-level job shadowing and work experience: “When I was placed at my job shadowing, which was at Burger King on the waterfront, I thought it was going to be easy. But what I learned was that the staff at Burger King doesn’t have it as easy as we think. “They have to be very specific about hygiene, watching the orders come in, preparing the orders and being very specific so they don’t make mistakes.”
He went on to do his internship at Business Solutions Technology Group.
Education Minister Tara Rivers said the Passport2Success program was “not an easy one.”
“It is designed to instil a sense of pride and a strong work ethic in each person that participates in the program,” she said. “We are always impressed and touched by all the personal testimonials of the young people at the graduation ceremonies.” According to a government release, “The program has a 90 percent average rate of graduation, a 32 percent average rate of employment at graduation and a 54 percent average rate of employment 12 months after graduation.”
To apply for the next course, visit www.passport2success.ky or contact the National Workforce Development Agency at 945-3114 or [email protected].
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