Job Skills Training

After about a months preparation I have successfully launched my first big project as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Since being at the YWCA of Grenada full time things have been really slow, which causes some frustration. Many times when people think of PCVs they assume they are constantly making progress and doing work, but the honest truth is that often times we have to do so much prep work (aka sitting around, building relationships) to get anything accomplished. So after my month of not much to do i finally got to unravel a project named the Job Skills Training. This program is funded through the World YWCA 'Power to Change' Fund and has been reached with great enthusiasm from participants.



The tough economic market around the world has of course hit Grenada too, causing many people to resort to entrepreneurial fields of work, like selling fruit/pastries/goods. Its sad to see that people who have worked so hard through secondary school and went on the community college not being able to find legitimate work around the island as many would think the term "third-world developing" means there should be lots of new jobs sprouting up. It isn't the case.




So the YWCA thought up the idea of holding a Job Skills training for 25 unemployed persons from around the island. The objective of the training is to equip these young people with the interpersonal skills to gain employment on the island. Topics covered throughout the month with be: Effective Communication, Customer Service, On-The-Job Etiquette, Resume Building, HIV/AIDS in the workplace and Small Business Management. I volunteered to facilitate the Resume Building workshop and hope to have the trainees leave with a professional resume.




Today was the opening ceremony and first session which i thought went really well. Grenadians make a BIG deal about opening ceremonies. It seems if you are having ANYTHING, you MUST have an opening ceremony and invite "important" people.

"Yes ma'am we will be having a meeting tomorrow morning"
"OHHHH do we need to have an opening ceremony for that?"

Ok, maybe not THAT dramatic, but events ALWAYS start with an opening ceremony that concludes with a feature address from someone important. Today we had the Governor Generals wife, Her Excellency Lady Norma Glean speak on the importance of jobs in Grenada. I'm not sure what the equivalent of a Governor General is to the American system, but its way up there.

I'm glad that today was successful and that all of our participants are eager to gain the knowledge necessary to be a productive citizen. I hope that their enthusiasm continues throughout the training and that my sanity is spared too. :)


OHHHHHH....and im attaching a picture of a yacht that is apparently the sign of Oprah vacationing on the island. She often vacations to Grenada as well as Morgan Freeman. Her beautiful yacht is placed right outside the bay can easily be seen from all parts of the island. HEY OPRAH!!!!