‘BOLD’ move for Women’s Centre students
GLOBAL GAMING leader IGT recently partnered with Dress for Success in Jamaica to sponsor an intensive one-day professional development workshop for 10 students of the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation.
The workshop is part of the ongoing support offered through IGT’s After School Advantage Programme, which provides support for underprivileged children by improving access to education through technology.
The highly interactive and empowering workshop, titled ‘Journey to Work and Beyond: The BOLD and Beautiful Approach’, introduced the students to skills and strategies that would be useful to them as they moved from school to work, entrepreneurship, or further education.
The acronym BOLD (Believe, Opportunity, Love [Learning], Dream [Big]) sought to inspire and motivate the young women, while building confidence and self-esteem.
One of the participants, Altonette Whyte, found the BOLD concept inspiring. “I’m really glad I came,” said Altonette. “The workshop made me see things from a different perspective. I learnt a lot.”
Fellow student and aspiring doctor, Jody-Ann Matthews, appreciated the advice on what colours to wear for a job interview.
‘HIGHLY MOTIVATIONAL’
She found the interaction highly motivational. “I learnt that our smile shows we are unstoppable ... and I learnt the importance of acquiring the mindset for learning.”
Charmaine Lewis and Amanda Rose of Dress for Success also turned the students’ attention to the importance of setting ambitious but realistic goals and taking steps to realise them through careful planning.
The young women then enjoyed a vision-board activity, taking their work home with them to continue. The session concluded with practical tips on presentation and the appropriate makeup for employment interviews.
“It’s really about building their confidence, and allowing them to discover and present their best selves,” said trainer Charmaine Lewis.
Colleague Amanda Rose agreed with her that the participants were “quick to grab the opportunities to volunteer and speak up”.
According to Rose, it was gratifying to “see the shoulders straight and heads held high”, as the students stepped out of the workshop much more confident about their potential.
IGT Jamaica’s General Manager Debbie Green observed: “We are delighted to partner with Dress for Success on this project, which will do so much to enhance the progress of these young ladies as they move on in their lives.”