Early in the New Year the GARD Center plans to have its Nature Center fully operational.
Various tours of the Nature Center can be organized to take you on a trip through beautiful gardens of flowers, flowering shrubs, trees and traditional herbs. Exhibits will be found in the discovery room to provide interesting information in a fun way.
There will be an historic walk through time on our heritage trail for those trail enthusiasts. The hike is one to three miles through the Gilbert dry limestone woodlands, highlighting the characteristic woodland ecology, plants and wildlife. Other attractions will be a children’s garden and play area, local handicraft, soaps, condiments and other products for sale produced by the graduates of the GARD Center programmes.
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GARD Center Accreditation
Discussions on Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CVQ) with emphasis placed on the GARD Center becoming accredited as a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) facility were held recently.
The GARD Center also held other meetings with CXC/USAID Second Chance Institutions officials, to start the Focal Certification Programme, involving the CVQ and possibly the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) programs. The Second Chance Programme will provide youth who have been unable to complete their formal education, with another opportunity or second chance to access educational opportunities tailored especially to them.
By equipping youth with necessary technical skills, portable certification and invaluable experience needed to enter the workforce. This Programme will build self-esteem and confidence and ultimately improve their lives ensuring that a greater number of young people become active participants in the development of our region. GARD Center and the Antigua and Barbuda Institute of Continuing Education (ABICE) are being considered as Second Chance facilities.
GARD Center GATE Partnership
Ministry of Broadcasting, Telecommunications, Science & Technology
The partnership with this ministry in the Government Assisted Technology Endeavour (GATE) program has materialized.
A partnership was officially established with a MOU stating that six of the Center’s graduates of the computer repair training course would be accepted into the initial program and the GARD Center would offer its Life Skills programem to all of the GATE trainees. This is a significant opportunity for the Center to export its courses to other training institutions and organizations.
The Exceptional Hospitality Executive Provisioner (EHEP)
This is a new and exciting course which is being offered exclusively by the GARD Center through the Antigua and Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute. This course though previously offered by ABHTI has never made it into the full course offerings by the institute.
GARC Center seeing the potential for entrepreneurial opportunities is offering this course to twenty young ladies between the ages of 16 to 35 to think out side the box and “Go Against the Grain”. These ladies, will cover areas such as:
- Housekeeping
- Basic Cookery – intro to theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the preparation of soups, vegetable cookery, fish and seafood, etc. and expose students to sound personal hygiene practice, kitchen safety and accident prevention.
- Food & Beverage Service – intro to techniques in service of beverages and wines and restaurant organization for food service and the basic tenets of food service.
- Quality Customer Care – strategies and techniques designed to maintain and exceed customer expectations and enhance customer value and build customer loyalty.
- Human Relation (Workplace behaviour, business communication and interviewing techniques) – develop interpersonal skills, understanding individual differences, problem solving and decision making.
The ladies trained in EHEP will assist with a variety of life management tasks, including running errands, arranging activities, paying bills, shopping (meal planning, remembering special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries and purchasing gifts) and housekeeping (making beds, regular house cleaning, laundry, etc.). At the end of the course, the trainees have the option of working within the tourism industry or starting a cooperative and marketing themselves as a business.
Success Story
The Caribbean Youth Empowerment Program II (CYEP) sponsored by the International Youth Foundation and funded by the United States Agency for Internal Development (USAID) has recently been completed and with a number of success stories.
Here is what one of the graduates had to say:
ODYSSER THOMAS
In speaking to Odysser Thomas, graduate of the Office Administration class of 2013, she shared with me her excitement of managing a supermarket single-handedly after her training and Internship in the CYEP programme. (See picture: Odysser Thomas, R, receiving her certificate).
Odysser experienced a period in her life without job to sustain and meet her needs. She was dependent on others for survival. She blamed her situation on her lack of education and qualification. Her goal in life is to have her own home but in order to do so she must be able to work and save. When she heard of the training programme at the GARD Center she decided to apply to gain some qualification and to be independent. The training was a challenge in itself since she was no good at spelling and was embarrassed to let others see her failure. She remembers the first spelling test, a zero that caught the attention of her English Teacher, who promptly took Ms. Thomas under her wings.
“The training in Sales, Marketing and Customer service really helped during my Internship, which allowed the proprietor to place me in charge of his business and left me to manage it for two months.” I now have a full time job as Manager of the business.
“I am so pleased with the training and the support I received. I see the improvement in my life and my attitude. Thank you CYEP and GARD Center.”
Weaving and Textile Course
This course is now in full swing!
The students are enjoying the practical course and are hands-on from winding the warp to creating their own patterns on their looms. Spinning our own Sea Island cotton is also part of the training.
New Job Placement Officer
Mrs. June Jackson has officially joined the staff at the GARD Center in the capacity of Job Placement Officer/Mentoring Coordinator. Mrs Jackson was originally hired at the GARD Center as an Office Administration and Math & English Tutor.
The Board and Management of the GARD Center wish to welcome her to the GARD Center family.
Internships / Job Placements
During November and December 2013, the Job Placement Officer has successfully secured Internships for 13 out of the 14 female participants who attended the IT course; 12 out of the 14 women who completed the Business Enterprise course, and for all 17 participants who recently completed the Agricultural training course.
In addition to the Internships, Job Placements have been secured for 17 students who participated in the above mentioned courses.
The internship /job placement interviews with employers have been a welcoming experience, especially when they have good reviews of the students willingness to learn and more so that they are moldable. There are a few students who will be kept on as temporary employees and a few who will be made permanent over a period of time.
Most students showed great pride in their overall appearance and went beyond the call of duties assigned to them on the job. This was very well received by the employers and the GARD Center.
Global Entrepreneurial Week 18 – 24 November 2013
Antigua and Barbuda celebrates Global Entrepreneurship Week with the rest of the world.
This is the world’s largest celebration of innovators and job creators who launch start ups which bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare.
For more information click on link. http://ag.unleashingideas.
EU Project – Monitoring Visit
Mr. Koen Rossel-Cambier, EU representative, visited the GARD Center on Wednesday, 13 November 2013. He brought with him a local representative from the office of the NAO – Mrs. Juray Roberts.
They were introduced to the members of staff and tutors and both were given a tour of the facilities. They also viewed first-hand a Weaving and Textile class which was in session.
– Fruitful discussions included:
o Project progress with emphasis on the results and their indicators as in the logical framework.
o Project visibility and the visibility plan.
o Preparation of the upcoming new disbursement request, with the accountant.
Mr. Rossel-Cambier was pleased to hear that the GARD Center is being considered to be an accredited CVQ Center.
The meeting ended with Mr. Rossel-Cambier taking some of GARD Center pamphlets and the promotional video and Mrs. Roberts stating their pleasure in meeting with the staff at the GARD Center.
