A WEBINAR designed to assist at-risk youths especially during the pandemic will be hosted live on Thursday.
It is being hosted by the EPOCH Foundation and bmobile and will be live-streamed by Nish Music House.
The foundation was established in 2018 to build capacity and resilience in youth who live in at-risk communities in Trinidad and Tobago.
In a press release on Tuesday, bmobile stated that the webinar will be a prelude to the annual programme which would be held later this year which focuses on a range of topics including self-esteem, communication, conflict management, professional branding, resume writing, interview practice, leadership, and entrepreneurship directed to pupils at the Forms Four and Five levels.
Head of the foundation Anna Thompson, a career human resources professional said, “Aside from the educational learning aspects that take place in our schools, what we had observed over the years is that students are ill-prepared for job interviews.
“They do not have the fine-tuning or some of the niceties that are needed which can then result in them seeing the door shut on them. This meant that students who graduated from schools with more well-rounded development backgrounds would go on to get better jobs while those who did not come from those backgrounds would lose that opportunity – and the cycle continues. This is a cycle we therefore want to end.”
She added, “Then there is also the issue of self-esteem and self-confidence that is not covered in any way in the education of our young people. Sometimes the situation at home unfortunately does not nurture self-confidence and empowerment. You have totally different interactions between different parents and children in different parts of the country and this program aims to level that playing field.”
General Manager Shared Services at TSTT Gerard Cooper said, “We understand that the traditional educational system may not be able to cover all the areas that are critical for a young person’s development and success in the working world thereafter. We believe that by supporting an organisation undertaking critical work like this, we can help empower and motivate our young people to strive to be the best version of themselves.”
Panel members include co-founder and CEO of CinemaONE and current Chairperson of the Board of Film Censors of T&T Ingrid Jahra, Director Xceptional Events Lisa Ghany, Corporal Jacey Small of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, senior social worker Keisha Garcia, teacher Alloy Bedeau and several pupils who will present their personal experiences with the program and the challenges they face in their own communities as well. Director of the Children’s Authority Nichola Harvey-Mitchell will moderate.
