Tuesday, November 25, 2014
WHEN the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) and the National Youth Service (NYS) initiated the Events Management Training and Employment Programme, the objectives included creating viable employment and development opportunities for young people in arts development and events management. However, the programme has exceeded expectations creating second chances for youths who were sitting at home idly.
With a ratio of 28 males to 22 females, the programme created on the job training and exposure in areas of events planning, events budget preparation and monitoring, customer relations, elements of production, basic décor, set design and construction, first aid and fire safety and basic protocol for youths who recently completed six months employment with the JCDC.
"The programme was another opportunity, a second chance for these youths to gain on the job training, improve on weaknesses and to network and create greater chances for employment. Eighty per cent of the youngsters had never worked before or had a structured work experience and the growth that they experienced is commendable," explains Elizabeth Smith, one of the programme co-ordinators from the JCDC.
Smith expresses that close to the end of the programme which ran from April to October 2014, the Events Production Assistants (EPA) ages 17 to 24 years had concerns of what would be their next step, but the support has not ended with their employment tenure. more
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