Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/5742/-1/140/
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Anguilla Continues To Pioneer In The OECS With Its New Guidance And Career Unit
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His Excellency The Governor Mr. Stanley Reid (Acting) and Mrs. Reid, Permanent Secretary of Education Mr. Rodney Rey, Chief Education Officer Mrs. Rhonda Connor and Principal of the ALHCS Mrs. Ingrid Lake, were some of the esteemed guests invited to the opening of the Careers and Guidance Unit located on Campus A of the secondary school.
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The Anguilla Career and Guidance Unit
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The opening ceremony promptly began at 9:15 am on March 10 under a tent situated directly in front on the new building which can be described as a double wide trailer. Chairperson of the ceremony Ms. Olufunmike Banks-Devonish spoke vibrantly about the new centre and kept the ceremony moving smoothly with her colourful and intelligent anecdotes. Pastor Samuel U. Daniel, one of the counsellors charged with making the new centre successful, was asked to give the opening prayer as well as bless the building. Shermel Richardson, a teacher at the ALHCS, played the National Song on the flute and it was a beautiful rendition.
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The attendees to the ceremony with Mr Rodney Rey to the left Anita Martin-Ruan in the center and HE The Governor Mr Stanley Reid (acting) and Mrs Reid
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The Anguilla Careers and Guidance Unit offers its services to all persons, but especially to young persons below the age of 35. The mandate of the unit will be to provide career services which prepare young people to make appropriate career and personal development choices through the provision of information, advice and guidance, enabling them to participate effectively in appropriate formal and informal learning, training and employment opportunities. Rhonda Connor was asked to make some remarks by the chairperson about this new endeavour. Although she spoke in a more philosophical way about career guidance, she did offer very tangible information about how the program will run. She explained that the operations will centre around five activities: Career Information, Career Education, Career Counselling, Employment Counselling and finally Job Placement. She also said, “We are convinced however of the need to increase access to this support not only for students but to others as well that are young, some of whom would have left school without minimum qualifications. Our aim is to combat early school leaving and ensure an adequate knowledge and skills base to meet the challenges, reduce mismatches between supply and demand for labour and promote reintegration of marginalized and at risk groups into education, training and employment.”
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Inside view of the career centre
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Mr Rodney Rey spoke on behalf on the Minster of Education who was scheduled to attend but for some unknown reason was not able to. Mr. Rey mentioned that this career and guidance unit comes at a critical time for Anguilla. He also reflected on his youth when in reality there were only three jobs available to people: salt picking, become a teacher or work in the civil service. In reflecting he said that now in Anguilla there are many more opportunities for jobs and for that reason he sees this guidance unit as being paramount. The main catalyst and Guidance Counsellor at the ALHCS Mrs. Anita Martin-Ruan was asked to give remarks as well as be the final speaker of the ceremony. She, of course, was very passionate and proud of the new unit and spent most of her speech thanking the many people who were involved in making it happen such as Mr. Rey, Dr. Linda Banks, Mrs. Ingrid Lake and her assistant Juanita Crawford.
The ceremony ended with a vote of thanks given by Valedictorian Arthur Ward and then the attendees were invited to tour the unit. The unit is equipped with many current college preparatory books and handbooks as well as many other great sources for furthering one’s education. There are also two computers, an LCD projector with DVD and surround sound as well as study areas. The unit is most impressive and adds to yet another step that Anguilla is taking as a pioneer in the OECS.