Caribbean Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Livelihoods

Agriculture Entrepreneurship Youth No Comments

6th ANNUAL CARIBBEAN CONFERENCE

Two young entrepreneurs were selected to represent the GARD Center at this important regional conference which was held in Jamaica, from 9 – 11 December 2013.  The Antiguan Delegation of Mr. Winston Laville and Ms. Waszara Mack were part of a four (4) member panel who represented our country in the panel discussion, Youth Entrepreneurs: Young Agripreneurs – Lessons  Learnt: Challenges, Successes and the way Forward.

Issues discussed included the challenges faced by youth in setting up businesses; successes gained through steadfastness and diligence, and the accomplishment of goals.  Also discussed was the ‘way forward’ stepping stones for the future, and the importance of the Caribbean people networking with each other to assure produce circulates among the region for the betterment of trade.
Mrs. Melida Harris – Barrow, President of the NIC-ETH Productions and AfroLatinoMagazine, offered free advertisement to the entrepreneurs who were present, giving them an opportunity to advertise themselves and their respective businesses worldwide.
Other panel discussions covered interesting topics, such as, advancing food security, women entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial education to name a few.  After each session, there was a Questions and Answers section.
The Field Dialogue Research was set up so that three groups: one group to the market place in Linstead, the other in Bog Walk and the third group visited a farm.  Each group conducted a survey of the entrepreneurs they met to better understand more about them.  Why they chose that type of business and how they started their business were some of the questions asked during the research.  After such, each group had to analyse the information, discuss among themselves and make a group presentation of their findings.
After that event there was a field trip at a broiler farm which was a huge and fully mechanised facility which houses thousands upon thousands of birds.  The facility didn’t have any birds, for they were cleaning up for the next batch of birds to come in.  On investigation of the farm, it was found that the bird’s faeces are collected and sold to farmers as manure.  This inspired the livestock farmers who were present on the trip.
Also there were goat and pig pens, which housed the biggest pigs ever in those pens on the farm.  They also had a crop section where they planted corn, pigeon peas, sorrel and pineapple.
On the final day of the conference, those present were exposed to a competition going on offering grant funding for proposals that demonstrate exceptional potential impact on the environment.  Concepts of the fund include, sustainable agribusiness, water management, (including waste water), energy efficiency solar energy and resource use.  The day’s proceedings ended with the sale of exhibition items and the taking of pictures, while the night ended with a highly anticipated dinner and award ceremony.

Gilbert Agro-heritage Nature Center – RELAUNCHING 2014!!

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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.

GARD Center Accreditation

Youth No Comments

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

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Ministry of Broadcasting, Telecommunications, Science & Technology
GATE Cadets-Dec13The 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)

Entrepreneurship Youth No Comments

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

Job Placement Youth No Comments

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
Odysser Thomas receiving her certificate-May2013In 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.”

New Job Placement Officer

Job Placement No Comments

Job Placement pic-6Dec13Mrs. 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

Job Placement No Comments

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.