Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Interview with Ghislain from Friends International Phnom Penh

Can you tell us what your background is?

My name is Gail Vest; I am an Australian Advanced Skills Teacher with The Canberra Institute of Technology – (CIT). I train trade apprentice, international and youth at risk program students in Hairdressing. As well, I deliver teacher training in “online delivery” to hairdressing staff at CIT. My role as a teacher is the delivery of trade practical skills supported by it’s theoretical underpinning knowledge.

How did you end up here in Cambodia working with Friends?

C
anberra Institute of Technology, Australia - Centre Director Stuart Walsh visited Phnom Penh in 2009 and pledged support to the Mith Samlanh Hairdressing training centre. He organised a fully funded project for my visit; of which I delivered the training skills necessary to kick start students into the workplace. Friends-international mission of supporting older youth and providing Vocational Education & Training opportunities to gain skills to help them build sustainable employment is paramount to building their own futures. For my current return visit (2010), I was successful in my application for a CIT Fellowship; which now supports a further 4 month stint at the Mith Samlanh centre and working with Friends-International. We will continue to work on our goal which is to set up a hairdressing salon to build student experience levels.

What are your responsibilities here? What’s your typical day like?

Once in the training centre I deliver scheduled practical trade skills along with theory & demonstration sessions to the hairdressing tutors with the help of a translator. CIT had donated 5 Hairdressing kits as resources and we also use DVD’s to support the practical application. Further with friends-international I offer support with the training curriculum, and along with a case manager we make workplace visits to assess further training needs of “alumni” students. This is a beneficial service that’s helps us sustain relevant industry training needs. We want our students to have the necessary skills required for employment.

How do you like this job? How’s it different from your job back in Australia?

I love this type of work as I really believe that the most effective way of breaking the cycle of vulnerable urban children & youth is by education and training. This job allows me to support disadvantaged youth and really make a difference to their futures, by delivering skills that will give them a job and lead them to owning their own business, it’s makes it possible. I don’t think there’s any difference from what I do in Australia as skills lead to opportunities where ever you are in the world. The experience to volunteer in Cambodia with friends-international gives me the opportunity to help with that goal and I really love that idea! FI has set up the infrastructure and I can provide the trade skills, its perfect.

Favourite Quote Sebastian Marot Founder/International Coordinator – When I first started listening to street youth in the early 1990's, they said they wanted education, "he thought education meant classrooms, teachers, school BUT he now knows it means learning skills that will lead to making an income....."


who took tamagotchi?

Monday, May 16, 2011