MORE than 60 youths selected from work-study assignments attended a special empowerment workshop held recently by the Rights of the Child Commission at the Sophia Training Centre.

According to a press release by the Commission, this workshop is the third engagement of The Sophia Training Centre by the Rights of the Child Commission for 2014.
“The Sophia Training Centre falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and is a vocational learning institution for children and youth who would not have particularly excelled within the regular school system, but are seeking a second opportunity to be equipped with a career skill. The centre’s curriculum includes Information Technology, Catering, Refrigeration Repairs, Plumbing, Welding and Masonry. It is compulsory for all students of the centre to take remedial Math and English.” related the release.
A workshop conducted with the staff on the Needs of the Child and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was the first, followed by a similar empowerment session with students of the Training Centre focusing on building trust and the cultivation of values.
The workshop which addressed fostering leadership capacity, also explored a number of leadership qualities such as consistency, accountability, reliability, flexibility, self-confidence, and patience among the participants. A number of mock interviews were conducted based on the principles of interviewing strategies discussed; it aimed to acquaint the participants with professional job interview expectations and strategies.
Addressing the gathering, Speaker of the National Assembly the Hon. Raphael Trotman, told the participants of his own life, which as he emphasised was not without significant trials and tribulation and urged them to capitalise fully on the opportunities available to them. He said that in this thrust, the key values of determination, responsibility and competence would serve them in good stead.
The RCC’s relation with the centre is a product of a fruitful relationship the Commission has cultivated with the ministry as a result of employing the UNCRC articles. Negotiations are ongoing between the RCC and the centre’s administration on possible hosting of other sessions, particularly to improve the capacity of instructors for empowerment and capacity-building among children and youth with learning challenges. Similar workshops were also held at the New Opportunity Corps and the Kuru Kuru Training Centre.

(By Raveena Mangal)