Pinelands Creative Workshop continues its Calm Programme

Pinelands Creative Workshop remains committed to ensuring the children of Barbados have the tools to become successful after they leave secondary school.

This commitment was stated at the opening ceremony to launch the 22nd edition of the Career and Life Management (CALM) Programme under the theme Future Fitness – Creating a Resilient and Agile Workforce at Courtyard by Marriot on Monday, June 13.

Speaking to the students and sponsors in attendance,Chief Executive Officer of Pinelands Creative Workshop, Sophia Greaves-Broome reminded the students that they must be able to pivot in a changing global economy.

“Participants you must be agile in order to fit the opportunities and environment – you are the architects that hold within your hands and your mind the capability to design the new direction which the country has to go by leading innovation in order to allow for solutions for Barbados’ development,” she said.

Greaves-Broome said CALM which is celebrating its 22nd year will focus on three core values: Value Re-Creation, Talent Architecture and Cultural Prosperity Engineering over the next ten days of the programme.

“I want you to be resilient as it is imperative for you to survive. Persons say to think outside of the box but at Pinelands Creative Workshop we believe that there is no box at all, and we constantly reinvent ourselves to keep pace with the constantly shifting environment. But while all of this is happening, we have held firm to the internal family values, organised culture and philosophy; protect the internal environment in order to ensure we were strong enough
to face any adversity.

“Things will continue to shift in your personal and or professional space, but rest assured that you are not in this alone. We have pulled together a team of remarkable like-minded professionals who over the next ten days are ready to share their knowledge and experience as well as actively listen to you and add to your perspective,” she said.

Board member of Pinelands Creative Workshop, Suleiman Bulbulia, told the students present from various secondary schools across the island that whatever they put their mind to they can achieve.

“Whatever your mind can conceive and believe it can achieve. These are wise words to live by ladies and gentlemen. By God’s grace and mercy, the sky is the limit in what you can do and achieve once you are passionate, dedicated, patient, persevering and grateful,” he said.

Bulbulia commended the students for taking the first step to further their professional development by signing up to be a part of the CALM Programme.

“I want to congratulate the participants who have taken the bold step of joining this amazing program. As I read the training outline for the next ten days, I recognised that not only are you learning practical skills that would help you in the world of work, you are also being exposed to life lessons that would allow you to grow positively.

“Embrace the next ten days with enthusiasm, fully immerse yourselves in the lessons that you will learn and experience and aim higher.

“Prime Minister Mottley always reminds us that while being grounded in our Barbadian values, we must see ourselves as global citizens.

The world at large is our job market. Take in the workshops and visualise yourselves having a career not only in Barbados but in any other part of the world that you can dream of. Remember whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve,” he said.

Ruchelle Roach who is the Chief Executive Officer for The Maria Holder Memorial Trust who has provided the funding for the Multi-dimensional Approach to Resilience and Adaptability (MARA) Project which the CALM project falls under, said that their organisation is hoping that more secondary schools would allow their students to be a part of the CALM program as it teaches them vital professional skills that are imperative in the world of work.

“We need more programs such as the Career and Life Management Programme in Schools. Programmes such as CALM are important and need to be expanded and incorporated into all schools as a part of that transition because many enter the workplace and do not know what to expect.

“They do not even know how to start by doing a curriculum vitae or how to dress appropriately and not to mention the attitude and work ethic. Do not be fooled some adults still do not know these things either and we need to start this process early.

“Some persons would learn these things by trial and error, but we do not want to wait until we get to work to start that learning process.

“Many of you students have cellphones and access to computers but how many of you or your friends have taken the time to go online and look for templates on how to do a CV or information on interview tips? Because sometimes we need to learn to help ourselves,” she said.

The CALM programme continues at the Centre for Hybrid Studies, Wharf Road, Bridgetown St Michael with a session on Effective Communication which is being held by Ondene Thomas followed by Marketing Tools: Interview Techniques by Kathy-Ann Blenman Murrell as well as Interview Techniques by the US Embassy and other developmental topics.

(Write Right PR Services)