Scholars prepare for the world of work

The second round of the Professional Development Programme for government scholars got underway yesterday at the Ministry of Public Administration’s Government Training Centre in Chaguaramas. The programme is the result of collaboration between the Scholarships and Advanced Training Division of the Ministry and the Government Human Resource Services Company Limited.  

Overall fifty-six scholars are participating in the six month programme which is designed to build competencies critical to achieving work and organizational goals.  Over the period, scholars will have the opportunity to build their current skills set through a comprehensive combination of coaching, mentoring, encouragement and feedback sessions. Among the areas that will also be covered are Conflict Resolution, Decision Making and the importance of Ethics and Integrity. 

“We are very excited by this programme,” said Permanent Secretary Macintyre.  “It represents Government’s commitment to taking human resource development of our scholar community up a notch in terms of helping you to plan for your professional development, but with the ultimate objective of helping Trinidad and Tobago move towards a knowledge based society that is relevant to our current stage of development and which can move us to where we want to go as a nation.” 

At the launch of the first programme on February 6, Minister of Public Administration Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan reminded scholars that professionalism was more than being outstanding in a particular field. She explained: “Professionalism also means putting your clients first and acting in the best interests of the public or society. Being professional means being dedicated to your professional development both for yourself and for those people who are affected by your work. It is about being trustworthy, reliable and committed.”