According to figures published by the Bureau of Statistics (BoS), Guyana recorded a whopping 12.8% unemployment rate for the first quarter of 2020. This was compounded with the fact that persons with a primary school level education or more minor continued to make up the majority of the country’s workforce.
Founder of Sunbeam Career Development, Elon Alonzo
This is why addressing the youth employment challenge ranks high on the agenda of Sunbeam Career Development. But the woman behind this business is no stranger to the youth of Guyana; she is Elon Alonzo – a Rotaractor who has been doing community development projects over the years.
Elon was born on the 24th April 1991, at the Linden Hospital Complex to Warren and Janice Alonzo. Hailing from the mining town of Linden, she is the only girl among three boys.
Education and family were at the Centre of growing up for me. Almost all of my exposure as a child was from these experiences, and I was always challenged to take my education seriously and to perform. Vacations and weekends were mostly filled with assisting in any way at my grandfather’s agro-processing factory.
She attended Watooka Day Primary School and was awarded a spot at Presidents College after sitting the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA). After completing her secondary education, Elon ventured off to the University of Guyana, where she pursued studies in International Relations.
She was also trained in Project Management and pursued a Master’s in Public Sector Management at the University of the West Indies. During her studies at UWI, she executed research on the Impact of Career Planning and Job Readiness on mitigating the unemployment of CARICOM’s youths.
After completing the research and returning home, Elon was convicted of doing something to help mitigate the 22% youth unemployment rate that she unearthed during the research and help youths build their confidence as they prepare for the world of work.
I took the knowledge that I gained from 10+ years of Professional and Community development as a Rotaractor, my academia, and professional experiences in Marketing and Project management and sought out to create the Sunbeam Mentorship Program.
The Sunbeam Mentorship Program was an online platform to support youths as they transition from education to the world of work.
Following the onset of COVID-19 last year, Elon mobilized a team of youth and designed and executed the Sunbeam Career Development Camp, which saw over 70 teenagers for the first time attended and received training in Career development over six days.
It was there that we realized the need for sustainable programs like these and sought to merge Sunbeam Mentorship Program with Sunbeam Career Development. We thought that if we could create a community and a platform for learning and development, we will be of impact.
As a result, Elon launched her business on 5th March 2021 under the name “Sunbeam Career Development.”
I decided to launch this business to create a community that cares and is focused on every youth’s need for career development. I wanted to create an organization not only to target at-risk youth but to give all of us the literacy that we need to become confident, adaptable, and successful.
Sunbeam Career Development provides career development courses and coaching to young adults to make them job-ready and employable as they transition from unemployment to work. The businesswoman noted that she has been getting many positive reviews as unemployment is a significant social issue in Guyana.
We need to develop skills and fill the gaps of our educational systems. Our Facebook page has been getting messages from persons asking for advice on resume writing or about the job market.
The 29-year-old former UG student revealed that despite online learning, many people still do not have access to computers and a good internet connection, and this has been a challenge for her business. Presently, Sunbeam Career Development is enrolling for its Sunbeam Career Jumpstart course beginning in April 2021.
“This course is designed to give youths a head start to discovering and designing their career paths. As an introductory offer, we are giving two free coaching sessions along with the five courses to make Youth ready for Tertiary education with your future in mind or the World of Work,” Elon explained.
Elon hopes to provide a dynamic suite of online courses and services focused on career development for budding entrepreneurs, creatives, not-for-profit organizations, and Corporate individuals.
She said her focus is to create a support system for youth development and to work with stakeholders such as the Government, NGOs, and private organizations to push the agenda of professional and life skill development for youth.
Contact Information for Sunbeam Career Development
- Facebook Page: Sunbeam Career Development
- Telephone #: +592- 641-4342
- Website: www.iamsunbeam.org
