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Growth & Jobs | Project STAR, ITC, Dragon Stout partner to suit males in job readiness programme

Published:Tuesday | June 20, 2023 | 12:28 AM
Akeem Tate (left), participant from the first cohort of Project STAR’s Employment Programme, examines one of the outfits contributed by Image Training Centre at the launch at Red Stripe Jamaica, recently. Looking on are ZJ Tomo, who was guest speaker at
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Akeem Tate (left), participant from the first cohort of Project STAR’s Employment Programme, examines one of the outfits contributed by Image Training Centre at the launch at Red Stripe Jamaica, recently. Looking on are ZJ Tomo, who was guest speaker at the event, and Charmaine Lewis, founder of Image Training Centre.

Image Training Centre has partnered with Project STAR and Dragon Stout to outfit participants in STAR’s Job Employment Programme to prepare them for interviews and be suitably attired when attending these interviews.

Founder of the Image Training Centre (ITC), Charmaine Lewis, said the partnership leverages its expertise in personal image management and professional development as well as its commitment to fostering economic independence among disadvantaged individuals.

“Together, we aim to reshape the life narratives of at-risk individuals across Jamaica, empowering them through holistic personal and professional development,” she said.

ITC, having operated the Jamaican chapter of the globally known Dress of Success – which targets and provides support for women from low resourced circumstances – will, for the first time, outfit males under the clothing and accessories drive label ‘Suited for Success’. With this partnership, Lewis said “Suited for Success aims to collect nearly new career attire to help men step into the workplace with confidence.

“This alliance is more than a partnership; it’s a catalyst for change that promises to heighten self-worth, enhance employability and engender socio-economic support within our communities,” she said.

Saffrey Brown, project director at Project STAR, in welcoming the partnership, said this will assist Project STAR in advancing its employment programme and providing the confidence in the participants when attending the interviews so they have a better chance of landing the jobs.

“This partnership is critical in that it reinforces the issue of removing barriers to access and putting participants on equal footing with other applicants for the position they seek to fill. We look forward to deepening the partnership,” she said.

Nathan Nelms, brand manager of Dragon Stout, affiliate company of Red Stripe, said the company was happy to facilitate the partnership.

“Dragon Stout has been part of Jamaica’s culture for over 100 years, and we’ve seen the positive impact the brand has had on the lives of countless men through our various empowerment campaigns, such as our ‘Dragon Be The One campaign’ that focuses on positive masculinity. For this reason, Dragon Stout is proud to be partnering with Project STAR to invest in the support, inspiration and positivity of men of in the project,” he said.

He stated that the event aligns perfectly with its brand values and that he can’t wait to see how the participants will soak up what will be offered and use it to transform their lives.

The partnership was marked with an event held at Red Stripe Jamaica office on Spanish Town Road in Kingston on Monday, June 12.

Project STAR’s Employment Programme is designed to assist participants in a holistic way to get them to a place where they are sustainably engaged as formal workers within the Jamaican economy.

To date, over 80 people have been trained in job readiness in east downtown Kingston and Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland.