Nineteen recent graduates of the National Training Agency (NTA) recently secured full-time employment at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre as patient care assistants (PCA) due to a newly-formed partnership between the two organisations.
For one year, Jermaine Kemp worked part-time at an elderly home as a patient care technician (PCT), secretly hoping he would one day be able to work full time at a larger facility.
That dream has finally come true for Kemp, one of the 19 NTA allied healthcare graduates now employed at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre.
“The healthcare industry is quite competitive, so I never thought I would get a break,” Kemp said. “I decided to give it a shot and applied numerous times for a position with Sandilands, but was not invited for an interview until my resume was sent by the NTA. I am thankful for the opportunity to finally be able to work at Sandilands, and I am extremely grateful to the NTA for opening the door.”
Odisha Rolle is also a recent NTA allied healthcare graduate and said growing up her heart was always in the healthcare field.
“I wanted a career that would enable me to provide a better life for my family and me,” she said.”The training I received at the NTA has been an excellent way for me to get a foot in the healthcare industry door and secure this job at Sandilands. I enjoy coming to work every day and hope to one day move up in this field.”
“We are very pleased to welcome these graduates to their new role,” said Dorothy Hepburn, hospital administrator at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre. “The training they received from the NTA makes them key additions to Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre.”
The allied healthcare program offered by the NTA consists of both classroom and clinical training, which prepares trainees to work in a hospital environment under the direct supervision of a registered nurse.
Thelma McKenzie, principal nursing officer (PNO) at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre, said the company’s newly-formed partnership with NTA plays an important role in the healthcare field.
“A patient care assistant acts as the core caregivers in providing complete clinical services 24 hours. They serve as the eyes, ears and hands of the nurses. We need and appreciate the Agency for providing an organized structure for the training and because once they get here, despite needing some additional training they have the core competencies training needed to succeed,” she said.
The Public Hospital Authority’s (PHA) acting director of human resources, Ann Smith, noted that that NTA did a tremendous job in preparing the newest PCAs for their role. She encouraged the newest hires to continue striving for greatness.
“I also want to encourage you not to stop here the sky is the limit. Put your mind to it and get the requisite qualifications to do what is necessary to go to the next level,” Smith said.
To date, a total of 22 NTA graduates are employed at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre with the potential of more to be considered over the coming months.
The NTA has developed an excellent reputation in the business community with over 20 companies providing some form of support through internships and employment.
Some 1,500 young Bahamians between the ages of 16 – 26 obtained appropriate skills, training and certification from the Agency over the last two years. Many of those graduates are either employed or have gained internship opportunities.
The NTA provides “free of charge,” well-developed 14-week programs that are designed to enhance workplace readiness skills for 16 to 26-year-old Bahamians who want to increase their employability and gain real world job training skills.
Registration is currently on the way for the Agency’s seventh cycle of training in New Providence, which is expected to begin August 2016.
