INTRODUCTION
24 year-old Kerion Roberts lives in Beaulieu St. George, Grenada with his mom as head of the household and five other siblings. Kerion considers himself to be an introvert and loves creating animes online.
After graduating from high school, Kerion went into the construction sector to help support his family but unfortunately workers were released in early 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. Unskilled and uncertified, he took odd jobs such as carpentry and online merchandising but these were not viable options for a steady income.
OPPORTUNITY
Kerion’s sister shared a flyer that advertised UKaid funded Fibre Optics Training (FOT) Outside Technician at the Caribbean Coding Academy. He had no prior knowledge of fibre optics but considered this training under the SkYE programme as an exciting opportunity to start a career in an area which could position him for a lucrative job.
Although he joined the class one week after commencement, he was punctual at all classes and was quickly able to catch-up. He did not wish to miss any part of the training, even the extra classes provided on Saturdays by the trainer, Mark Algernon.
Kerion recalled, “The training was amazing and I highly commend Mark’s devotion to trainees’ learning which enabled me to grasp the content quickly”. Moreover, he often found himself assisting other students who were struggling to understand the lessons. His interactions with his peers allowed him to declare with a smile, “I have established long lasting friendships”.
NEXT STEPS
Given his natural inclination for anything mechanical and electronics, he has progressed to an online course in IT Support sponsored by Commonwealth of Learning but he is eager to start working and building a career in Fibre Optics. Job opportunities locally and regionally are currently constrained due to the impact of COVID but Kerion knows he is ready for a career in a sector primed for economic growth. In his free time, he researches the contemporary concept of ‘smart homes’ and FOT Inside Plant. ‘Smart homes’ was a project idea generated from the business readiness component of the Fibre Optics Training which he envisions will be his career.
Kerion continues to recommend the programme to his peers. He remarked that, “The training not only exposes someone to a vast and innovative area of training but also provides an opportunity to work internationally”.
FACTS
Skills for Youth Employment (SkYE) is a four-year, UKaid funded programme to provide certified skills training for 6,000 disadvantaged young people, including those challenged by disability, in four Eastern Caribbean countries: Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent & the Grenadines. The Programme will develop a more productive and inclusive workforce in sectors with good economic growth potential.
SkYE is supporting national training authorities and training providers to make systemic improvements to the development, delivery and quality assurance of technical, vocational education and training (TVET) in the four focus islands through targeted capacity building.
