Last weekend, 60 students from across Antigua participated in a professional career development seminar at Sandals Grande Antigua Resort and Spa under the theme “Let’s Not Stop Here. The one-day interactive session was the brainchild of the Junior Chamber Youth (JCY) at the Antigua State College and was fully supported and sponsored by the regional resort giant as part of their push for tourism in schools across the region.
Sessions throughout the day ranged from building your student portfolio for the competitive job market, career selection and exploration in the digital age, cover letter and resume writing, dressing for success, interviewing skills, and HR recruitment best practices, among others. Training and Development Manager at Sandals Grande Antigua, Carlene Spencer, who facilitated the first session, “College to Career: Mapping a Path to Success” said, “Our young students are very impressionable and open to learning about how they can better prepare themselves for careers or even university after leaving school, and as industry professionals, it is our job to impart the knowledge and share key information with them so they can better present themselves and have a competitive edge in an ever-changing job world.”
Joining Spencer on the facilitator line-up were Sandals Assistant Learning and Development Manager Thalia Thomas, who presented on Career Exploration: Mastering the Hunan Resource and Recruitment Process, and Public Relations Manager Leon Norville, who presented on Career Advancement: Building a Successful Career Path.
Participating secondary schools at the one-day event included Princess Margaret, Clare Hall, Sir Novelle Richards Academy, Ottos Comprehensive, All Saints Secondary, and Antigua State College.
“The experience was very impactful and informative. I was able to learn so many insider tips, especially in regard to social media HR monitoring that prospective employers carry out. I was also able to further strengthen my emotional intelligence and public speaking skills from the engaging development sessions” – Tahiva Pacquette, a second-year student and President of Junior Chamber Youth at Antigua State College, shared. Fifth-form student at the Clare Hall Secondary School, Rune Edwards, added, “I was very inspired by this seminar as it really brought a lot into perspective, especially as it relates to the transition from secondary school to the working world and college.”
Sandals Grande Antigua General Manager, Matthew Cornall, expressed his excitement with the hosting of the event and said, “We are grateful to afford our young participants the opportunity to learn and be involved in this initiative that hopefully will not stop here. These students are the future, and we here at Sandals always welcome the opportunity to play our part in the nurturing and development of our future leaders because we believe in their drive and potential. They are the ones poised to bring a fresh surge of creativity and out-of-the-box ideas to our industries that will help make our communities and country a better place. So we stay committed to our investments in the young minds of Antigua and Barbuda as a company and a brand.”
This initiative follows closely behind the resort’s recently concluded two-day leadership management exposure, which saw 12 students from the Antigua and Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute learn more about their respective areas of study from a practical management professional’s standpoint on the ground at Sandals.
The career session was also supported by the parent organization of JCY—Junior Chamber International (JCI) Antigua—and saw the 63rd President Laurel Jonas, Executive Vice President Therese Mills, and visiting JCI-West Indies National Officer Executive Vice President Britney Williams offering words of encouragement to the young attendees.
