ORIENTATION for year two of the Rose town Construction Internship programme was held on September 14, and according to the Gore Family Foundation which funds the effort, the beneficiaries are energised.
Researcher Jennifer Jones conducted an assessment of the programme and found it to be effective as the first cohort of interns “had matured in self-confidence… self-development, in their understanding of the discipline and behaviour needed for the world of work, how to work as a team, [and] how to see things from the perspective of others”, Gore Foundation said in a news release.
The internship is being run in conjunction with the Rose Town Foundation.
Since the end of the first year in May, both foundations have been busy preparing for year two which, the organisers said, will cost approximately $17.5 million.
They have also continued to follow closely the 12 graduates from the first year as they transition to the next stage of their lives.
“It has been a very challenging, but also a very fulfilling experience,” the release quotes
Gore Family Foundation Executive Director Christine Gore who revealed that approximately $26 million was pumped into the first year.
“Three of our interns from year one will be starting university this fall, two of them at Utech [University of Technology, Jamaica] and one at Mico [University College]. We took them on tours of these campuses to make sure that they feel ready and supported as they embark on this new journey,” she said.
“We also have an intern currently in training at the Jamaica Defence Force, and a number of interns working on Gore Developments Limited’s Phoenix Park site as well as in other companies. We have continued to support this group as we worked throughout the summer to make further enhancements to the programme heading into year two,” she added.
Errol Campbell, one of the intern coordinators, gave a brief overview of the plan.
“We have put a plan in place to do some remedial work in the problem areas identified in the literacy and numeracy testing that the selected group of interns did. In addition to doing this remedial work with the interns, we will be starting off by introducing them to orientation courses in coping skills
— freedom from stress and pain, Microsoft Word and personal finance management and wealth building,” Campbell said.
“We will then transition into prerequisite courses in English, mathematics, business etiquette and professionalism, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence,” Campbell said.
He said the assessment of the programme confirmed their belief that it is important that the interns start off by focusing on these foundational skills and concepts before transitioning into the more construction-specific portion of the programme.
After that, they will be introduced to foundation courses, including outdoor recreation and land management, productivity and waste management, project management, construction safety and health, safety in construction, fall hazards, customer service skills, technical drawing and auto computer-aided design.
“This will then transition into specialty courses in garden design and maintenance, carpentry, plumbing, electrical studies, critical facility, critical infrastructure, and masonry,” the release said.
The foundation said that all courses used in the programme can be found for free online at
Alison.com, Linda.com and at Open University of the United Kingdom.”
Online courses will be followed by an internship on Gore Developments Limited’s Phoenix Park site, which will present them with the opportunity to work directly with the company’s subcontractors.
Source: Daily Observer (Jamaica)