Young would-be police recruits seek to ‘Get Hired’

Sixty young people interested in a career in the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) got a better insight into its operations in a first-of-its-kind employability workshop.

The Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment in collaboration with Prince’s Trust International and the RBPF concluded its first Get Hired uniformed services-employability workshop at Sky Mall seminar room 1, Sky Mall, Haggatt Hall.

The participants were introduced to their potential employer and career opportunities in its eight sections.

RBPF Inspector Roland Cobbler told Barbados TODAY that the force was happy to be a part of the workshop, considering that recruitment numbers have been low in recent years.

He said the numbers at the workshop showed that there were young people interested in seeking employability in the RBPF.

He said: “It gives us the opportunity to sell the force to them through giving them an insight into the various departments within the organization that they themselves can bring the required skills that can be useful to our society as we try to develop that safe and secured society.”

Inspector Cobbler indicated that at the end of the day’s proceedings, those eligible to join the RBPF would be able to start the recruitment process that would allow them to go through the requisite training to become police constables.

Senior Youth Commissioner and Programme Coordinator Elizabeth Bowen said that while all participants may not be suited for the Police, the ministry would point them to other opportunities that would allow them to utilize their skills and interests.

Bowen said the ministry was happy to assist the force in addressing the deficit in numbers.

She said: “So I know that if we collaborate, we would be able to at least address that deficit and try to provide good candidates.

“In our engagement of the young persons we had done some preliminary questions like finding out how many CXCs they have, what are their areas of interest and do they have any visible tattoos.”

Get Hired is an initiative that connects young people who are ‘work-ready’ with employers in identified sectors to secure jobs.

The first cohort of 50 young men and women aged 18 to 30 completed their first day on Wednesday, exploring personal goals, job readiness and personal development skills.

Participant Kyle Harewood who has a Bachelor’s Degree in Microbiology said he was interested in joining the RBPF Forensic Unit. He said the workshop was informative and allowed him to improve on his interviewing skills and how to sell himself
to future employers.

“I do have an interest in joining the Police Force and I would like to be able to join the ranks and to be of better service to my community,” Harewood said.

Shannon Green, who holds a law degree, said she saw the workshop as an opportunity to explore another area of law.

She said her aim was to gather as much information as possible about the different units of the RBPF and about what the recruitment process entailed in order to make an informed decision.

“And [to find out] about the type of persons that they are looking for to join the Force especially with the rise in crime. I know that it has been stated that there is a shortage so I want to see if I can in some way contribute,” Green said. anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb