LIFT opens doors for Queen’s School graduate

Twenty-year-old Olivia Reid came across a video promoting the Learning and Investment for Transformation (LIFT) Programme while scrolling on TikTok, and the The Queen's School graduate promptly contacted her councillor and expressed an interest in applying.

She was seeking on-the-job experience and an opportunity to interact with like-minded individuals, both of which LIFT - a $2-billion Government of Jamaica initiative aimed at bolstering the social mobility of 2,500 youth over a five-year period - promised. It targets fifth and sixth form graduates and provides sustainable avenues for education, employment and assimilation into society.

On completing orientation and an eight-week employment transition training, Reid was placed at First Global Bank in St Catherine last November, for one year of on-the-job training. She works in the compliance unit, where her main role is to close out non-compliant accounts. Reid admitted that it was not an area she had an interest in; however, once she understood what the job entailed, she gave it her best shot.

"I got to interact more with the software that the company has, and it's very interesting because I love computer science and I love learning about new software," she told JIS News. Prior to the LIFT Programme, Reid said she was uncertain about her career path.

"I'm tech savvy and I've always been interested in computer science, but I didn't think it was doable at the time. But once I was placed in the programme and I saw that there were a lot of women in computer science, I got more comfortable exploring the field," she shared. Reid said that one nugget that has stuck with her from the training is "our response is our responsibility". She explained that it means that she is responsible for how she reacts to customers, events and situations.

Each month, $15,000 is reserved from the salaries of participants as compulsory savings, and that sum will be paid out on completion.

"In the programme, we learnt about financial literacy, and a big part of financial literacy is saving; but also, what you're going to be doing with the savings. I had the whole year to think about what I'm going to be doing with my money and I want to invest it," Reid said.

She said that the highlight of the programme was meeting all the "LIFTers", and share that they have helped her to grow, and they consistently keep in contact with each other. Reid opined that she is ready for the working world, pointing out that she has mastered communicating with her superiors in a professional manner.

"I am also more efficient when it comes to completing tasks. Once they give me a deadline, I make sure to meet them. I am more productive," she added. Reid is among 449 youth who will complete the first year of the LIFT Programme on November 29.

"It's very transformational. I was placed at First Global Bank and, normally, I wouldn't be able to work at a bank without a degree; so I now have work experience," said Reid, who expressed hope that she will be recruited on a permanent basis.

"Once you join the programme [LIFT], you have to pull up your pants. It is a good programme; but if you come in the programme laid back, you won't get the same experience I had. Once you come eager, HEART will always keep their hands open for you and they will never turn you away," she said.