BACKGROUND
The Government of Grenada has initiated a national fiber optic network roll-out plan as outlined in the National ICT Strategy 2006. In addition, telecommunication companies, Digicel and Flow, are installing-Marine Fiber Cable throughout the Windward Islands under a World Bank Project. Sustainability of the systems requires a cadre of local persons to be trained to perform maintenance work and future installation services for this nation-wide infrastructure development.
SkYE has provided UKaid grant funding to Caribbean Coding Academy (CCA) to train and certificate 50 young people as outdoor technicians in Fibre Optics – Outside Plant under the esteemed international Electronics Technicians Association. The training covered technical skills in fibre optics installation, repairs, maintenance and testing in addition to soft and business readiness skills.
MAKING THE JUMP
“Reserved, structured and self-motivated” are how 25-year-old Paulette Mitchell describes herself. Paulette lives in Happy Hill, St. George, Grenada with her parents and two younger siblings. A biology major and recent graduate of St. George’s Uni
versity, she enjoys tinkering with computer parts, reading and playing the guitar.
In 2020, during her part-time employment as an Accounts Representative, her interest was piqued when she came across an advertisement on social media for Fibre Optics Training at CCA. She made the personal sacrifices required to pursue the opportunity. She excelled throughout the training and exams for which she credits the instructor, Mr. Marc Algernon, and his zeal for sharing knowledge. “I enjoyed the course and interacted with an amazing group of young resilient people, with whom I have developed strong friendships”, Paulette commented. She expresses her gratitude to SkYE and CCA for the opportunity and she is now pursuing a career in Fiber Optics.
LANDING ON THE JOB
As an outstanding trainee, Paulette secured an internship at ElecTel, a local company that offers services such as Cable and Electrical Installations, Networking, and Fiber Optics. She is the sole female Fiber Optics Outside Plant Trainee Technician. With the support of her work supervisor, she has started informal training as a Fiber Optic Safety Officer. “Exposure at this company has given me a greater appreciation and respect for the technical field”, she notes. Paulette encourages girls and young women to “Aim high and pursue your dreams even in a male dominated field”.
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.
