STA
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JULY 2015
12
When we think of training
in the
workplace, we most times imagine programmes
that enhance a person’s ability to complete
tasks. But there’s something much better –
training that leads to the overall development of
the person, making them more effective not only
at work but in life as well.
These personal and professional
development programmes are available to The
UWI staff through the Human Resources Division
of the St Augustine Campus. And as one staff
member attests, they can be life-changing.
“It was truly transformational. I walked
out of there a better human being,” says
Jeevan Persad, an engineering technician in
the Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering.
Jeevan took part in the university’s “Talent
Development Workshop” held in 2010. The
workshop’s purpose was to “develop participants
in a range of competencies” with the end goal
of preparing them to “compete for and assume
higher positions” within the university. In other
words, the workshop sought to develop the
future leaders of The UWI.
But when he entered the workshop, Jeevan
did not have such lofty dreams for himself:
“I was at a point in my career where I was
lost. This came from the fact that I had received
an education in a technical skill but had not (like
most people) been taught things like career
planning and financial management.”
It was its focus on such topics that
attracted him to the workshop.
“What really stood out to me were
the components of the programme –
emotional intelligence, financial planning,
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
UWI COMMUNITY NEWS
FROM THE ST. AUGUSTINE CAMPUS
On the leadership path
By Joel Henry
Personal and professional
growth is
an ongoing journey. Acquiring new skills can
not only open up fresh career opportunities it
can also spark new passions, expand outlooks
and ultimately lead to greater contentment.
UWI, through the Human Resources Division,
continues to strive for greater employee
engagement and contentment by providing
a host of opportunities for training and
development. These opportunities include
academic and professional programmes, skills
courses in areas like business writing and first
aid, and work and study exchange programmes
at foreign universities.
There are numerous available courses.
Here is a small sample:
Future Leaders Programme
The FLP is designed to provide a framework for
succession planning within the organisation by
honing the strengths of employees who have
displayed the potential to assume leadership
positions. The programme will involve a series
of interventions designed to enhance their skills
and knowledge.
Career Management
This programme is designed to assess
participants’ career direction, redefine
professional and personal goals and plan steps
to enhance their career. Participants will be
able to reflect on their ambitions, interests,
qualifications and abilities. It will enable them to
develop their career management skills, to have
an appreciation of the labour market and the
education system and relate this to what they
know about themselves.
Public Speaking and Presentation
This course is geared to expose participants to
the various elements of public speaking and
the techniques used to effectively deliver and
present one’s message.
At the end of this workshop participants will:
• Develop critical thinking skills.
• Fine-tune verbal and nonverbal skills.
• Overcome the fear of public speaking.
Stress Management
This workshop is designed to assist
employees in maintaining effectiveness in
the face of stress. Participants will learn the
effects and the characteristics of stress and
better understand why stress is considered the
invisible disease. Participants will be able to
increase their awareness of the mind’s role in
the stress cycle, how perception, paradigms and
self-talk contribute to stress and how habitual
thinking can be re-directed. They will also learn
how to keep issues and situations in perspective
and react appropriately.
For more information on opportunities for
training and development contact the Human
Resources Division at 662-2002, ext. 82313.
For online enrollment, logon to https://
intranet.sauwi.uwi.tt.
T&D
Opportunities
When I work
with students
and peers I’m no
longer thinking
of it as a daily
job. I am thinking
about how can
we make things
better for the next
generation?
communications – topics that I had never heard
anybody speak about before.”
The workshop consisted of over 15 modules
covering 12 topics. Jeevan and other participants
worked with personal coaches. They learned
from a host of facilitators and took part in
lectures, audio-visual presentations, role-play
and even meetings with campus management.
“We really got to touch base with the
university management – the principal, the
deans, the heads of departments,” Jeevan says.
“Through these conversations we actually got to
appreciate what motivates these people, their
passion for the university.”
That passion in turn has helped him to
better understand the university’s purpose and
the contribution he can make towards achieving
its mission.
“When I work with students and peers
I’m no longer thinking of it as a daily job. I am
thinking about how can we make things better
for the next generation? UWI is a portal through
which we can make national and regional
change,” he says.
PHOTO BY Atiba Kojo
