Young people learn how to job hunt
The recent job-skills training workshop
(CNS Local Life): A one-hour workshop was held Friday, 5 January at the National Workforce Development Agency (NWDA) training room to address the internship application process and teach job-hunting skills. Attendees at the session, held in partnership with Cayman Enterprise City’s (CEC) local jobs initiative Enterprise Cayman, learned about how to write resumes and cover letters; email communication and etiquette; telephone and face-to-face interviewing; and networking and negotiation.
The goal of the partnership is to improve opportunities for Caymanians, helping them compete for jobs that are developing within CEC, stated a joint press release from the two entities. Dianne Conolly, NWDA manager for training and development, said her agency is pleased to work with CEC on promoting its internship programme, called “Summer in the City”, and provide students information on how to prepare for opportunities available through this initiative.
“Internships provide the opportunity to build relationships with an employer in an industry of interest, gain valuable applied experience and allows employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent,” Conolly said. “We would encourage young Caymanians to explore these specialised areas such as media, internet, commodities and derivatives, science and technology; these are not jobs of the future, these are opportunities that are available now.”
The idea for the workshop came about after CEC reviewed applications submitted for its internship programme. The CEC team decided young applicants could benefit from additional support and learning opportunities on how to apply for jobs, stated the press release.
“We noticed that many students are lacking some basic skills that might prevent them from putting their best foot forward with employers, so we decided to address this issue in partnership with the NWDA,” explained Maria Philip, vice president of client services at CEC. “We want our young Caymanians to have the best possible chance at internships in the zone and jobs to improve their career options.”
The workshop participants also wanted to know what employers look for when selecting interns. Enterprise Cayman representatives discussed the various internships available within the special economic zone and noted that some internships have led to permanent jobs.
“As the zone expands, new jobs are being developed and we want our students to be aware of those opportunities,” said Philip.
The CEC internship programme is geared to young people aged 18 to 25 who have graduated from high school. It begins in May with the length of an internship depending on the company involved. There are more than 200 companies from 20 countries in the zone, and internship opportunities are being developed all the time, said the press release.
Workshop attendees were also encouraged to sign up for NWDA’s “Employability 101”, a 10-day training course designed to address some of the direct and indirect barriers to employment, the development of employability skills, and soft-skills training to assist them in their job search and employment readiness.
Those interested in internship opportunities should call (945-3722) or email CEC
Category: Training
