Seven young adults secure work after jobs programme
(L-R) Dianne Conolly from the NWDA, Passport2Success graduates Kimberly Scott and Kayla Stewart, and Employment Minister Tara Rivers
(CNS): Seventeen local young men and women graduated from the latest Passport2Success 12-week programme last week but officials said that just seven of them have been able to find either full or part-time work as a result. This class was the 20th group to go through the government-funded initiative, in which 378 people have taken part since it was introduced to assist school leavers and unemployed young people with gaining practical skills, work experience and finding employment.
A release from the employment ministry about the latest graduates said that from the seven that have found work, two have secured apprentice positions at Health City, which recently entered into a partnership with the National Workforce Development Agency to provide young Caymanians with the opportunity to become qualified support-level healthcare administrators.
Kimberly Scott and Kayla Stewart will be trained as medical receptionists. They join Christine Foster, a past graduate of the Passport2Success programme who was selected for the position of medical secretary.
Although seven graduates have managed to find work, ten are still unemployed but officials said they are now working with NWDA’s Ready2Work KY programme to secure full-time employment, while some have indicated that they are interested in pursuing further education.
Employment Minister Tara Rivers said the self-confidence, tools and skills they had gained on the course would help open doors for them.
“They will assist you in not only getting a job but with keeping that job,” she said. “The skills you have learnt during the programme are only the start of what should be your life-long learning and development. Keep pursuing opportunities to grow and keep gaining skills that will help you climb the employment ladder of success. Be proactive and utilise any on-the-job-training that is available to you,” she urged the graduates at their passing out ceremony.
The 21st cohort of the programme begins in September 2016.
For more information about Passport2Success log on to www.passport2success.ky or contact the NWDA at 945-3114
Category: Local News
Tara and her UNTRAINED self. Just now turn segregated type of west baya ehh stop turn your back on your own people for folly not even fame….!!
Congratulations to the successful graduates. Keep at it and the rest will find jobs too.
Another failure by Tara and the PPM, meanwhile the work permits keep flowing…..
The time has come for work permits to decrease, and if the government won’t do what needs to be done, sweep the floor clean in 2017. Only the Premier knows that more permits mean more jobs for Caymanians. Which jobs? Not even to sweep the floor.
Wake up people! The table has to turn.
This program always has been overrated & hyped up! The stats never do add up to reality most of the attendees get placed with “temporary” placements and not long term positions. With all of there grandios stats ask them to provide updates on the 328 that went through this program. Can someone do a FOI on how much the private company that provides this program has been paid throughout the years??? Value for money, I think not!
This is shameful.
The Passport2succesd program is designed to bring these young people to the level required by NWDA for their Ready2Work program, that is specifically designed to prepare these young people for entry level jobs in local industries.
After all that, there are 10 of these young people that cannot find jobs and three more that can only find internent, which are not real jobs.
There are hundreds of work permits issued for entry level jobs on Island.
Why in the world is the PPM government so addicted to work permit fee income that they cannot cancel 10 of those permits, for which these young people are qualified and force/ cajole/ beg/ kiss ass, or whatever is necessary in order to get these qualified young Caymaians into full time employment?
If we cannot make this 100% successful, then why are we wasting money on it, we might as well give it straight to Social Services.
Come on Tara, you are in charge of both Edication and Labor, get something done successfully for God sake.
WaYaSay
Classic zero sum game nonsense.
The Cayman Islands, happens to be the only country in the world that a work permit has no end date. It is the pathway to Caymanian status.
Nice to read of this outcome. Congrats to the young people that have worked through the program and found a placement.
They can have my job if they want. Work is overrated.
Its all an illusion. Only 7/17 could find/be placed in jobs after completing this programme. That is a fail! Question: how many of the 378 that have gone through this prog still have jobs as a direct result of the prog? Thought so!
Govt looking like they are doing something “useful” for the youth/young adults and the businesses that participate get a bly on more work permits which defeats the purpose of the prog. Massive injustice to the yutes dem!
Give them proper career training not that dribble that creates more illusion.
People like you… the glass is always half full, especially when it comes to your own Caymanian people getting ahead a lill bit … SMH
Empty. The glass looks half empty to him.
I am happy for my Caymanian people but these are poor results and the post raises some valid points.
Tara Rivers and PPM busy trying to sell the charade of success and progress to voters
Worse, they trying to sell Rolston Anglin’s programmes! And I’m not even a UDP or PPM member or fan but West Bayers come on, you gotta know these were all started by Rolston?
6:57 pm You should be happy to know that this government didn’t do away with programmes that were started under the previous government. Isn’t it taxpayers money? Wake up and start thinking positively.
Why are some of us so naive.