By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

AT a time when unemployment is high in the Bahamas, Joan Knowles is doing her share to help people find meaningful work.

Her desire to see Bahamians land jobs in which they can make a substantial living and provide comfortably for their families is what led her to start Executive Employment and Marketing Agency.
In addition to helping individuals find gainful employment, Ms Knowles hosts a number of activities including job fairs and workshops.

She and her team at the agency recently hosted its first annual job fair to help unemployed people in the community.

The agency received over 700 applications and has successfully placed 100 persons on various jobs. Grocery bags were distributed to single unemployed parents in attendance.

“I am most passionate about job opportunities for Bahamian people. My agency is initiating seminars and job fairs to help our people find employment and also to educate them and change their mindset over the different careers that are here in the Bahamas,” she said.

Last month the agency hosted a job seminar targeted at high school students. It was sponsored the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, Scotiabank, BAF Financial, Megabytes Computer, Electro Jack, and Mario’s Bowling.

During the seminar, hundreds of students heard from motivational speakers who implored the graduates to properly prepare themselves for job interviews and training.

They also received firsthand knowledge from human resource managers and also gained part time and full-time employment from some of the corporate sponsors.

The speakers included Kathy Butler, HR Manager for Bristol Wines; Bernadette Gibson, HR Manager for BAF Financial; Charlene Paul, Financial Advisor and President/CEO of Yeshua International and Ricardo Deveaux, President of the Board of Primary School Education.

After the job fair Ms Knowles found that there was an urgent need to ensure individuals are equipped with the necessary tools, deportment, mannerism, and communication skills to enter the work force.

She said high school graduates were the target of the seminar, so they may be steered in the right direction to becoming prominent Bahamians in the job market home and abroad.

“I was able to identify the deficiencies of the overall preparation and presentation for the job market. Due to these deficiencies I look at the numerous amount of graduates that were leaving school and thought it fitting to host a annual seminar under the theme ‘Successful Tips for First Time Employment’ to assist the graduates with ways to equip and enable them to become adequately prepared for the initial interview and beyond.

“There were over 300 graduates with GPA achievements of 2.00 and above in attendance. There were seven government high schools in Nassau represented,” she told Tribune Woman.
Ms Knowles believes in doing her part, because the responsibility of Bahamian people finding work should not fall solely on the shoulders of the government, she said.

Everyone has a part to play, and despite the challenges which come up, she believes what she does goes a long way in building people, their families and eventually the country.
“As a former banker, I have identified the high level of stress encountered daily for HR Managers when having to find the best candidates for employment, so I thought it was most needful to start an employment agency to help them with shortlisting those persons applying for positions at businesses.

“This profession is everything I love doing. The unemployment rate in the Bahamas has called for much attention and assistance and I have recognised that the government cannot do it all,” she said.

“What I do and plan to do, benefits and helps the Bahamian people. As a small business owner I continue to seek ways in which I can give back to my Bahamian people. My only prayer in regards to this is that other businesses that are larger than I am will join in the vision that I have for the unfortunate people in the Bahamas. Getting sponsors for these events has been very difficult. I pray that God will change this and have more of them to support me in these ventures,” she said.

Ms Knowles and her team is in the process of making preparations for a Backpack Day Fun Day event to be held next month. She is seeking sponsors for uniforms, and other clothing items to be distributed to the single unemployed parents during that event.

The event is scheduled for August, 2013 at the Yeshua Plaza, Carmichael Road from 10am - 6pm.