Earlier this week, The University of the West Indies Global Campus Alumni Office hosted the Recognition Ceremony for its ‘Preparing Today for Tomorrow’s Challenges – Transforming Children’s Lives’ (PTFTC-TCL) Alumni Outreach Programme. The Ceremony acknowledged the hard work of the 150 students enrolled during the Academic Year 2023/2024.

The PTFTC-TCL programme seeks to prepare students for work and life after school by equipping them with the necessary employability/‘soft skills’. Over the past eight years, the PTFTC programme has reached over 830 returning fifth-formers at twelve of the twenty-one secondary schools in Barbados.

The Programme, which is endorsed by the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, has been well received by both teachers and students. Students have been particularly appreciative of the programme’s content, which has aided their personal and professional development as they transitioned from secondary to tertiary education and beyond.

The PTFTC-TCL programme would not be possible without the generous support of donors who fund various aspects of the initiative and the organisations that partner with the Global Campus to offer internships. Some alumni give back by enabling students to attend and participate in the Basic Business Etiquette sessions.

Notably, author and transformational thought-leader, Dr. Arvat McClaine, has been the main sponsor since 2018, funding both the Recognition Ceremony and the stipends for students’ internships at The UWI. The Alumni Office commends these donors for their contributions to the positive transformation of the lives of these young people.

At this year’s Recognition Ceremony, Ms. Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation, was represented by the Sandals Barbados PR team, which included Mr. David Hinds and Ms. Stacia Brathwaite. On behalf of the Sandals Foundation, Ms. Brathwaite presented a donation in excess of US$60,000 to see to the success of the expansion of the PTFTC-TCL programme across all twenty-one secondary schools in Barbados.

She expressed that the Sandals Foundation is dedicated to supporting initiatives like the PTFTC-TCL programme, which promote the holistic development of children and in turn foster positive change in communities across the Region.

In his featured address, delivered on his behalf by Dr. Pamela Dottin, Quality Assurance Officer, The UWI Vice-Chancellery, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The UWI Global Campus, Dr. Francis O. Severin underscored the significance of the expansion of the PTFTC-TCL programme.

He emphasized that the programme equips the youth with essential soft skills that complement their academic qualifications, and enables them to more effectively lead the Caribbean nations towards a more sustainable future. He also commended the Sandals Foundation for its significant contribution towards improving the lives of Barbadian youth through the expansion of the PTFTC-TCL.

The Expansion of the PTFTC-TCL programme comes at a particularly opportune time, as the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training undertakes the ‘Education Reform: Reimagining Education in Barbados’ project. This project explicitly speaks to embedding the new curricula with Social and Emotional Learning, which encompasses self/social awareness, interpersonal and decision-making skills, all elements taught in the PTFTC-TCL programme.