The Department of Community, Youth and Sports Services (DCYSS) is looking to make changes to the School Leavers Programme, including earlier engagement with students and longer workplace attachments.
Youth and Community Development Worker Helena Dorsette says the department would like to collaborate more closely with the Montserrat Secondary School, beginning from the third form.
She says the aim would be to introduce students to career preparation earlier, allowing the sessions currently delivered to school leavers to become more of a refresher by the time students reach fifth form.
“One of the things we would like to see change in the future is our collaboration with MSS. We would like to work a little more closely with them in that we would like to start from third form and have our facilitators who normally do the lectures in the one week or the three days have them start with third form until fifth form so that when they get out of school and they come to the workshop it’s more of a relationship. So if we can get that started at the school when they come out they know this is how we are supposed to dress this is how because while it is true and you dress in a way that pleases you, you also have to do it in a way that is respectful and demands respect from other people,” Mrs. Dorsette explains.
The DCYSS is also considering extending the programme’s workshop component from one week to at least two weeks, while increasing the time for workplace attachments from one month to two.
Dorsette says longer placements would give participants more time to determine whether a particular career path is right for them.