Twenty-four Youth Officers and Supervisors working with the Ministry of Youth’s IMANI youth programme got the opportunity on December 5th and 6th, 2017 to sharpen their mentoring skills during a Business Mentoring Workshop facilitated by the Grenada National Training Agency (GNTA).
Business mentoring provides employers and their managers or representatives with the tools to improve the learning and training relationship between themselves and the youth on placement within their establishment on apprenticeships or short-term work placements. The same principle applies to the relationship between the Supervisors and trainees under the IMANI programme.
A few weeks prior, a similar workshop was held for employers engaged with the programme. The Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kingsley L. Morgan stopped by the workshop and gave the participants some encouraging words about being positive role models and being a critical link between trainees and employers.
The National Training Agency (NTA) as the implementing arm of the Grenada Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (GCTVET), has as part of its general mandate the responsibility to oversee, design, monitor, coordinate and promote the establishment of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to meet the skills development needs of Grenada. Hence, the NTA is responsible for facilitating the development and enhancement of a training system which will result in competent trainees entering the workforce.
The training model requires traineeship engagement for persons participating in Caribbean/National Vocational Qualification (C/NVQ) training programmes. It is therefore imperative that employers are engaged to build awareness about the training model and their role in ensuring that the Grenadian workforce achieve the competencies needed to contribute positively to Grenada’s development agenda.
Employers and other participants of the Workshops were expected at the end
- To develop an awareness of the mentoring process and are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to initiate and sustain an effective mentoring relationship.
- To understand their roles and responsibilities as Mentors and know what to do when issues or problems arise.
- To be exposed to strategies which can assist them in mentoring trainees completing C/NVQ training.
- To be exposed to the Regional Qualifications Framework which can assist them in becoming familiar with the levels of qualifications.
