ON September 19, 2019, The UWI Alumni Relations and Alumni Chapters and the Alumni Relations arm of the Institutional Advancement Division (IAD-AR) will launch their partnership with YoPro Global Foundation on the first Soft & Life Skills series for students and alumni across all campuses Caribbean-wide.
This skills series is part of the Pelican Perks Advantage Programme, available to UWI students and alumni, and will be offered through Alumni Relations at The UWI Regional Headquarters. The online sessions will cover relevant topics related to social, professional, and personal development and will be hosted monthly within the academic year.
YoPro Global has executed more than 100 such events worldwide in the past 12 years. It will provide speakers and industry experts for each session, coaching them on the audience and delivery, and coordinating the logistics for the presentation. UWI Alumni Association members will be invited to participate alongside these speakers, to localize the experience and share their own perspectives on the speakers’ topics. The online platform will allow for interaction with speakers and presenters.
“Our primary goal in engaging our alumni and students Caribbean-wide through these Soft and Life Skills programmes is to complement their academic knowledge and assist in their continued professional advancement.” said Celia Davidson Francis, Director of Alumni Relations for The UWI. “We will be involving our E-Mentors and are delighted to work with YoPro who will lead in the delivery. These quality sessions will be offered in the evenings to allow easy access.”
Dr. Ty Richardson, Chairman and CEO of YoPro Global Foundation, noted that “this partnership has been one of our goals for the last four years. We’re excited that on the 5th anniversary of YoPro’s Trinidad and Tobago signature conference, Mentoring Young Professionals (M.Y.) Conference, we’re able to announce this partnership with one of the region’s most established and prominent institutions”. “This partnership will allow us to expand beyond Trinidad and Tobago and to reach the entire region, fostering a larger impact.”
The skill-enhancing sessions are beneficial “Pelican Perks” which will be offered to UWI students and graduates who are UWIAA members at complimentary or special, greatly reduced, affordable prices. In 2020, the programme will expand to host its first conference, introducing industry experts and graduate professionals to a live audience of UWI students, alumni and community members in Jamaica. In 2021, the programme will further expand to host three such conferences in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.