8 November 2021
New service Career Access St Helena – a one-stop shop for career services on the Island – has officially launched at their new office in New Porteous House, Jamestown.
The launch event took place on Friday, 5 November 2021, in the presence of invited guests and local media.
Chief Minister and Minister for Education, Julie Thomas, opened the event with remarks on behalf of the Portfolio Director of Education, Skills & Employment, Wendy Benjamin, who unfortunately could not attend.
Wendy said:
“The establishment of Career Access St Helena was a recommendation made in the revised Labour Market Strategy 2020. It was seen as, and I quote ‘an essential service to improve employment outcomes on the Island’. It was envisioned as a one-stop shop for career services on St Helena, operated as a partnership between St Helena Government (SHG), the St Helena Community College and relevant private sector and non-governmental entities in order to meet the needs of the widest range of stakeholders.
“I am pleased to say that today marks the official start of this vision being put into practice.”
A special mention was made to former Councillors Lawson Henry, Clint Beard, Russell Yon and Cyril Leo and SHG Officers Amanda Curry-Brown, Marcella Mittens (former employee), and the Career Access St Helena team, Nicola Essex, Cynthy Bennett, and Martin George for the key role they have played in making Career Access St Helena a reality.
The Chief Minister added:
“If utilised correctly, Career Access could be the key that helps us unlock the door to employment opportunities, but we must be prepared to accept the challenge. Are you ready to start a new journey, a new career? Do you want to learn new skills or put your talents on display? And more importantly are you ready to make yourself available?
“If, the answer to these three basic questions is ‘yes’, it is your responsibility to step forward and engage with this newly formed service. Their functions are wide-ranging and I know they are willing to assist you on your journey, but it is your responsibility to seize the opportunity.”
Career Access Manager, Nicola Essex, then provided invited guests with an overview of the service and some interesting statistics – 44 apprenticeship placements facilitated since August 2021 for young people aged 16-18 years and in the last two weeks alone, 37 clients seeking employment have made use of the services provided.
Nicola said:
“We’ve helped clients find available jobs in the private sector, in government and other organisations on St Helena. We’ve helped clients to get an interview for the job they applied for. We’ve helped clients with what to do when you have an interview. We’re now looking forward to expanding our offering and serving many more clients as we develop, which the location at New Porteous House has now enabled.”
Guests were able to tour the office, see what is on offer and speak with staff members. The day continued as an open event for the public during which new clients were also taken on.
The Career Access team would like to thank everyone who visited on the day and who helped to make the day a success. For those who were unable to make it on the day, please do come in and see what we’re all about – our opening hours are 9am to 3.30pm, Mondays to Fridays.
Now that the service has officially launched, the team also look forward to engaging via similar events with Training Providers and Employers on-Island.
Notes to Editors
Career Access St Helena is managed by Nicola Essex and team members – Workforce Development Coordinator, Cynthia Bennett, and Placement Coordinator, Martin George. The service centralises all employment-related resources on St Helena and serve not only those who are unemployed, but residents at every stage of their career and every level of ability.
Career Access St Helena sits under the employment component of the Education, Skills and Employment Portfolio. Its vision is to enable individuals to achieve their purpose through personal empowerment via education and development, and connect that purpose with employment opportunities in alignment with stakeholder needs.
Career Access services are available to anyone aged 11+ years. This includes all organisations and employers on the Island as well as parents, teachers, coaches, advisers or anyone looking to support others in their career journey.
#StHelena #CareerAcessStHelena #CASH #NewService
SHG
8 November 2021