Twelve divisional youth officers and community-based trainers of the Ministry of Youth & Sports attending the Seeds of Success (SOS) Training of Trainers workshop have been urged to get to know the youths well.
The SOS programme stems from the Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) programme and was adopted by the Ministry in 1995.
The TOT workshop empowers the participants to become SOS trainers and facilitators for the young people at the grassroots and community level.
The SOS program helps to increase the confidence and self-esteem of youths, motivate youths to live and create productive and satisfying lives and increase the youth’s potential for success in their work and in their personal life.
Workshop facilitator and SOS Trainer Lorna Foster told the participants to always be conscious of how to approach young people when conducting trainings.
“You’ve got to love, believe and show them that no matter the situation they are in, they can become successful,” said Ms Foster. “If you do not then it is likely they won’t listen to you.”
“As trainers for youths, it is often required that you stoop to their level so they can appreciate and accept the messages we wish to deliver,” said Lorna. “Most importantly you need to have a high degree of understanding for youths.”
Meanwhile, Principal Youth Officer Research & Development Unit of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Mr Iowane Soko while opening the week-long training said the ministry is committed towards ensuring the success of all Fijian youths.
Mr Soko said trainers must be able to convince and change the mind-set of youths toward becoming self-reliant, open-minded and realising their purpose and potential in life and be able to achieve goals and become productive members of society.
“As trainers, it is expected that you must have an excellent understanding of the subject of the training,” said Mr Soko.
“You should desire new ideas and experiment them, have the ability to give clear instructions, plan and implement training and regularly evaluate and your work and successes and also cope and learn when things do not go according to plan,” Mr Soko told the workshop participants.
The PMA programme was based on the work of Napoleon Hill, a young American who interviewed wealthy American businessmen in order to understand the attitudes and behaviours that led to their success.
The workshop will end on Friday.
DEPTFO