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JobsCayman reaches out to graduates

Local News 18 Nov, 2020 Follow News

Graduate Alyssa Ebanks with WORC's Paul Puckering

Dianne Conolly, Manager at WORC

By Lindsey Turnbull

 

WORC hosted a JobsCayman registration event over two days at the Marriott Beach Resort for college graduates and current college students who were looking for work or internship opportunities. At the same time, employers were invited to advise WORC of any opportunities for young graduates so any interested people could see what was currently on offer to them.

Dianne Conolly, WORC’s Manager for National Training and Development, said that part of WORC’s remit was outreach, getting people to sign up to the JobsCayman website and get involved.

“Today is a registration drive because we want to know who our graduates are out there and what they are doing, to let us see how we can connect them to job opportunities that match the areas that they are studying,” she advised.

Ms Conolly said students could expect a personalised service.

“We are saying to them, let’s sit down and show you how to get registered and give you the advice you need to take the next steps, what areas you are looking at, have you seen the jobs available,” she confirmed. “I think that’s very beneficial for young people today, just to sit down and listen to the advice with regard to what is really out there and what they can be connected to.”

The WORC team at the event were working with the young people, looking through their resumés and giving feedback on them, helping them to register and then search for jobs on JobCayman. Ms Conolly said they were urging the young people to have a wider focus.

“A lot of times we only focus on one thing that we know rather than where the skillsets can be spread around,” she confirmed. “We encourage them to think outside the box.”

Twenty-three-year old graduate Alyssa Ebanks gained her degree this year in Game Design and Development from Brock University Canada. She said she hoped the event would help her connect with WORC and help her explore all the opportunities that they had.

“They have helped me a lot from the time I arrived back with finding out what jobs are available and what resources they have. They have also helped me connect within the community,” Alyssa confirmed. “I’ve just finished an internship at Cayman Enterprise City and they made me the ambassador for their new mega space, a room for innovation,” she advised. “I was a big part of the development of that at CEC.”

Alyssa wants to be part of the growing technology sector in Cayman as that is what she has been studying, currently working freelance on VR projects such as architectural walk-throughs. She hopes to work more in this sector right now and eventually teach young people about this type of technology in the years ahead.

Paul Puckering, WORC’s TIVET coordinator said he was helping Alyssa to broaden her horizons and see what opportunities could come for her in terms not only of her degree but also with regard to other skills that she acquired that could be used in other areas.

“We’ve just begun to start talking about becoming an educator, giving her the opportunity to share the skills she’s learned over the past four years and how that could be integrated at the primary level, helping young people who are wanting to go into the field but who aren’t quite sure what it is,” he advised.

Ms Conolly said they had received very good feedback from employers who had said they had entry level (degree) positions available that they were then able to share with some of the young people who came along to the event.

She said the registration drive was going to be first of a series.

“We want to see this several times a year, this community outreach and we’re also reaching out to the Brac as well,” she confirmed. “It is a hard market. We know that not all businesses are up and running but we are working with what we have, trying to open up the minds of the young people to see that there are other options out there, maybe not exactly what they’re into but hopefully they will consider them.”


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