Award leaders benefit from regional training |04 May 2016

Some 50 volunteers representing secondary schools and award units on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue are taking part in a training to certify them as award leaders.

The National Award Authority (NAA) of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Seychelles, commonly known as the President’s Award Programme, is hosting this course in Seychelles.

The Award Leaders Training Course being held at the STC conference room was launched yesterday by the principal secretary for youth Alain Volcere, in his capacity as the chairman of the National Award Committee.

This course follows a series of meetings which officials of the NAA secretariat have conducted at the schools, professional centres, work places and other units across the country. Its aim is to prepare individuals to support and mentor those taking part through their award programme and update with recent development in the knowledge, abilities and skills that enhance up-to-date management of the award with a view to sub-licensing of all award units in the country.

The training course is being led by three leaders from Africa Regional Office Training Panel – Martin Matabishi, Joanne Waweru, and Robert Otieno. They are focusing on new award leaders training, supervisors, assessors training, licensing and award unit management among other award relevant topics.

NAA director Gerard Pierre said this training is a first for Seychelles since the programme was re-introduced in 2000.

Mr Pierre said: “The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a self development programme for youths between the ages of 14-24. It was founded in the United Kingdom in 1956, but it then spread to other Commonwealth countries. So it now has over 140 countries in the programme. These award leaders play a mentorship role in guiding these youths in this programme and they will receive a certificate recognised worldwide. After this, their unit will be sub-licensed and they will be able to manage it on their own while the secretariat will simply run the programme nationally and provide these units with capacity building or any other help.”

He also asked those taking part to make full use of the lessons learned as they will help them in the future.

Also new this year is the involvement of private schools in the programme. The International School of Seychelles and Independent School have now joined and they expect to create new units after the course is completed.

The course will run until Friday when the leaders will be presented with their certificates.