Mentors attend Jamalco Workshop

Twelve persons from the bauxite/alumina company, Jamalco, and the Winston Jones High School, in Manchester, participated in the company’s Mentorship Programme, by attending a recent workshop at its mining offices, in South Manchester.
The Jamalco-sponsored workshop was designed to equip the participants with the necessary skills to guide and counsel teenagers who are identified by their schools as being at risk and in need of guidance to help them achieve their goals.
Most of the newly trained mentors will participate in the second phase of the programme at the Winston Jones High School, slated for implementation at the start of the 2010/2011 academic year.
Retired Social Worker, Grace Campbell, who facilitated the training, commended the participants for offering themselves to help guide and encourage the youngsters who will be engaged in the programme. “We might not be able to save the world, but we can begin with one child and this will certainly have a multiplier effect,” she said.
Administrative Assistant at Jamalco, Camille Wallen, was satisfied with the training. “It was first rate, extremely informative and the delivery was engaging. It was great,” she said.
A total of 16 mentors will participate in the Mentorship Programme at Winston Jones High. The programme will also include the establishment of an ‘Excellence Club’, where mentors can meet to obtain information and guidance from resource persons, to improve themselves.
The first phase of the programme was implemented at Vere Technical High, in Clarendon, in January 2009, under the theme: ‘Success is an attitude’. More than 30 mentors from Jamalco and the community are engaged in guiding students from that institution.