The Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports, and Culture recently organized its inaugural soft skills training sessions for interns involved in the third phase of the TCI National Internship and Apprenticeship Programme. These sessions took place on July 11th and 12th on the islands of Providenciales and Grand Turk, respectively. The turnout was impressive, with over 80 interns attending 55 in Providenciales and 27 in Grand Turk.
During these sessions, the interns received interactive training on various critical topics, including the importance of and strategies for fostering an inclusive workplace, effective networking techniques for career development, key leadership qualities and styles, customer service skills, collaboration, effective communication, complex problem-solving, and critical thinking.
The integration of soft skills training into the programme addresses the skills gap identified in the 2017 National Skills Audit, which highlighted a need for development in these areas among the workforce. The Ministry’s goal is to equip interns and apprentices with these essential skills to enhance their contributions to the talent pool of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
To facilitate these sessions, the Ministry enlisted the expertise of Ms. Melanie D. Smith, founder and CEO of Talent Recruitment Group, and Ms. Sheba Wilson, a leadership coach and HR consultant from Sheba Wilson Ltd. Their involvement ensured that the Ministry’s learning objectives were effectively met.
The Deputy Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands, H.E. Anya Williams, attended the sessions and spoke to the interns about the numerous opportunities within the public service. She highlighted various departments and ministries needing specific skill sets and encouraged the interns to consider the public sector as a viable career path. Drawing from her own experience, she shared her journey from an intern to becoming Deputy Governor at the age of 32, emphasizing the importance of seizing such opportunities.
“I want to provide the same opportunity to young persons in the Turks and Caicos, and I believe it is my role and responsibility to encourage youth to consider the public sector as an option,” said H.E. Anya Williams.
The Minister of Education, Youth, Sports, and Culture, Hon. Rachel Marshall Taylor, also attended the training. She spoke about the purpose of the soft skills training sessions and their connection to the National Skills Audit of 2017. She discussed recent amendments to the scholarship policy, which mandate that students return after studying abroad. Noting that only 72 out of 760 scholarship recipients had returned, she stressed that these policies aim to continually build human capacity in the Turks and Caicos Islands and encourage young islanders to take up government positions.
“Our strategic investment in soft skills training for our interns aligns with our national development goals, ensuring our youth are equipped to drive growth and innovation in the Turks and Caicos Islands,” said Hon. Rachel Marshall Taylor.
The Ministry of Education expressed gratitude to partnering employers who provide placement opportunities for participants in the program.
