IGT Jamaica engages youth in professional development training

International Game Technology (IGT) Jamaica recently enlisted Life Coach Tanique Easy and Digital Strategist Kadia Francis to engage youths within its After School Advantage (ASA) programme in professional training, to prepare them for internships and employment opportunities.

The training took place during the second virtual staging of the IGT ASA Career Development Workshop on October 27.

Career workshops have grown to become a key educational outreach initiative of the IGT ASA programme. However, this recent session was hosted under the theme 'Finding Opportunities During a Global Crisis', and the aim was to provide guidance to young participants on how they can adapt to changes in the professional landscape to better manoeuvre the heightened challenges of seeking jobs resulting from the impacts of the pandemic.

The insightful session was attended by 34 youths, ages15 to 25, from IGT ASA centres at Spring Village Development Foundation, Sunbeam Children's Home, SOS Children's Village – Stony Hill, Mustard Seed Communities – Matthew 25:40 and the Women's Centre of Jamaica Foundation – Mandeville and Spanish Town. Several participants are to take part in IGT's internship programme next summer. IGT ASA centre managers, along with regional and local managerial staff from IGT, were also present to offer their support.

In her opening remarks, general manager of IGT Jamaica, Debbie Green, shared her thoughts on unemployment in Jamaica as she highlighted the significance of the career workshop.

“IGT is quite cognisant that the current global crisis has made it difficult for young people to access opportunities. Employment has become more limited over the past 18 months and there has been a significant shift in the modes of recruitment and employment as companies and jobseekers adapt to the digital world of work due to COVID-19,” Green stated.

EQUIP YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS

Notwithstanding these challenges, Green inspired the youngsters to look beyond the issues and equip themselves with the right knowledge and tools so that their responses can be positive and life-changing.

“'You are not a product of your circumstances; you are a product of your decisions,'” she said, quoting Steven Covey.“If you, our ASA students, are to successfully access employment during this pandemic and in this digitally evolving world, it pays to be equipped with critical technological skills.”

In keeping with the objectives of the session, presenters streamlined their virtual addresses, highlighting the intrinsic link between technology, employment and professionalism. This was a practical approach as many professions are emerging online because of work-from-home policies in numerous jurisdictions globally.

Life Coach Tanique Easy, who is also the founder and director of Builders Academy, delivered the main presentation by taking the participants through the essentials of preparing for employment.

She noted that, among the steps to be taken, individuals must understand the importance of conducting self-analysis, preparing and organising, conducting a targeted job search, promoting one's skills and learning how to deal with disappointment.

She went on to explain that:

•Self-analysis includes looking at one's academic history, interests, talents and extracurricular engagements, and noting where strong competency lies, then using those strengths to position oneself to embark on an effective job search.

•Preparing and organising can be more effective with strategic documentation. Young people should invest time in creating a personal data sheet consisting of the names of the companies with which they have an interest in working and have researched over time.

•Conducting targeted job searches entails tailoring the details in job application cover letters and résumés to each company and position.

•Promoting one's skills via social media sites such as LinkedIn is a plus, as many recruiters tend to look there for employees.

•Dealing with disappointment requires individuals to remain positive and hopeful. One has to accept that rejection is possible and must never take it personally. Instead, individuals must ask for feedback in cases where they were not successful.