Two months ago LIME rolled out the welcome mat for eight young St. Lucians, who were about to get their first opportunity for work experience with the nation’s leading telecommunications provider.
Brimming with excitement, the youth were grateful for the opportunity to receive valuable training provided as part of the SLHTA Apprenticeship and Skills Training for Employment Initiative. LIME is an official participant in the program.
During their eight-week stint LIME’s HR department provided the apprentices with, among other things, career guidance and counselling, psychometric assessments and taught them how to write a winning CV and improve their interview skills. They also gained valuable hands-on training by assisting the company’s staff in various departments, all in an effort to make their apprenticeship an immersive and truly rewarding experience. In addition, they were encouraged to share their ideas on how LIME could improve its quality of service and make its product offerings more attractive to the youth.
On Friday the trainees were presented with certificates after successfully completing the apprenticeship program. There was no mistaking the pride in their faces as they savoured what was for them a special moment. They will all be listed on the SLHTA skills database which employers can access for possible applicants for vacancies.
Safia Alexander, one of the eight apprentices, had nothing but praise for the program. Like her other colleagues, she said she enjoyed her stay at LIME and learned quite a lot.
“The apprenticeship programme was a really great experience. Every day I got to learn something new, It also helped me to develop new skills and grow professionally. Thank you SLHTA and LIME for this opportunity!” Safia added.
Geraldine Pitt, LIME St. Lucia Country Manager, commended the graduates for their excellent performance and positive attitude. “We felt honoured to have such a wonderful group of young people with us, all eager to work and learn from this new experience. They got some great insights into how to be well prepared for the challenges of the workplace, and they learned new skills which can dramatically improve their chances of permanent employment,” said Ms Pitt.
Scores of secondary school students have benefited from internships and real-work experience at LIME over the years.
