ECU hosts ‘Career Reboot Programme’

Presenters at the programme, were Lewis; Franklyn Dolly, director, Dolly & Associates and Dr Jennifer Holder-Dolly, clinical director, Dolly & Associates.

Eastern’s chief executive officer, Conrad Enill, said while some people talk about the recession in theoretical terms, others are living the reality and the credit union sees the impact in the increasing rate of job losses and the consequences such as the non-repayment of loans. He said another side that is often overlooked is how the recession impacts on individuals and their quality of life.

“As we enter this world characterised by recession, how do we as a people respond?” He said there were options: people could either see this period with a degree of hope as they explore the new possibilities, or as one of gloom as they respond in the traditional way.” He said one of the saddest under-reported consequences of recession is the different impacts it can have on young people who, he said, lose their future. He said recessions lead to higher rates of child malnutrition and there is ample evidence that points to serious long-term consequences to such malnutrition, including stunted development and academic under-achievement. He said even for children who have enough to eat the impact can still be serious - less money in the pockets of parents can have a different impact on the education of children and enrichment opportunities, adding that it was fair to wonder about the psychological impact on children of seeing one or both their parents lose their jobs and be out of work for years. He said there is a view that such situations inspire unproductive emotions such as resentment or fatalism.

Enill said the recession also affects retirees, noting that it seems this recession will have a long-term impact on jobs and houses. Individuals who thought their portfolio and the value of their house meant that retirement was imminent may now be facing a decade or more of additional working years. He said it was not unusual for housing prices to decline in a recession, as well as the reduction of personal wealth associated with this asset.

According to Enill, it is also important to understand the role of debt in this situation. He said that without the buoyant economy to provide revenues to the Government, the country’s high public debt burden could lead the way to higher taxes, higher inflation and other unpleasant consequences.

Franklyn Dolly said the spate of retrenchments taking place in the country drives people to lose hope “and when you lose that hope, that is where the difficulty comes in. We have to start developing programmes and we have to be talking with one another and sharing with them how to have hope in this darkness, and I think that is what these programmes are really geared to do.” He said people have their mental capacities and the ability to figure out things, but they are also emotional beings “and if we don’t manage our emotions at the times of these types of challenges we could make some really stupid decisions.” The seminar sought to empower people to manage their emotions and manage their mental faculties “and when those two come together that is where you get the hope.” Director of Alumni Relations at the Arthur Lok Graduate Jack School of Business, Fayola Nicolas, said a number of institutions had been affected by the recession and many people are making major life choices about what to do next, whether to find another job or open a business, and were addressing the question of what the future holds for them. She said the Career Reboot programme was initiated because of an increase in the number of people asking for assistance to re-boot their career.

The business school had been approached by the credit union to run the workshop as a pilot project for its members, but the programme would be available to the public through the school in May, she said.