HRMAB Training and Development Report 2020 – 2021
This is the 2019/2020 report of the Training & Development Committee of The Human Resource Management Association of Barbados (HRMAB) on all of the training and developmental initiatives hosted by HRMAB for the period under review.
The members of the Training & Development Committee are as follows:
Chairperson, Carrie-Ann Morris-Searle
Member, Kim Clarke
Member, Rashida Beckles
Member, Rochelle James
The primary objective of the Training and Development committee was to provide a diverse approach to how training and development was created and delivered to our membership for the period under review. The committee intended to employ a multifaceted and varied approach to both content and modes of learning. The committee was committed to providing relevant, timely and impactful educational and developmental training for our fellow HRMAB members, our associates, our community and other interested parties and stakeholders. The strategy employed was to create and provide content that would always be educational and empowering for our members, and having ended any session, our participants would have a renewed sense of pride and vigor for the practice and application of Human Resources in their workplace. With this in mind, the Training and Development Committee in collaboration with the current HRMAB Executive strategically designed content that was thought provoking, trending, sometimes controversial, empowering and most importantly was worth the participants time. We engaged with Government and Business leaders, Entrepreneurs, and our very own HRMAB members to do this. To date we have been successful in this as it has seen us partnering with the government and other elements of our Community in initiatives geared specifically to our youth and recently unemployed persons who benefitted from the knowledge shared at each session hosted by our association.
Another approach we took this year was that we would utilize several forums and methods to engage with our members. Insightful and thought-provoking webinar series were created, powerful face to face sessions were held and e.g. (Raphael Saul), a half-day workshop hosted by Deloitte with the most current Survey information with Deloitte Human capital Trends for 2019-2020 was conducted. We also hosted a lunchtime learning session at Tapas restaurant, did Interview Techniques and CV presentations with COB, The Ministry of Labour and The CARICOM Youth Ambassador in association with the Ministry of Education. Our President has appeared on radio programs Down to Brass Tacks on VOB 92.9 and a recurring Television Programs CBC Morning Barbados. These activities have helped tremendously in putting our HRMAB brand in the public domain. We have also encouraged the writing of articles which have been posted on our HRMAB page and published in The Barbados Business Authority. All of the activities mentioned above have allowed us to gain a much wider reach as an HR Association and also provided a platform of visibility and value to our current membership and intrigue and exposure to prospective members and associates. We also collaborated with business leaders in both the private and public sectors to address sensitive but trending hot button topics. The Learning and Development committee was very strategic in terms of partnering with our in-house IR Committee lead Kara Boyce for topics that had some overlap to provide greater efficiency of scale.
They were two cancelled 2 sessions which were under subscribed and though we felt that the information would have been relevant it did not make economic sense to pursue: Know Your Numbers: Finance as an HR Tool which was scheduled for Sept 17th but was undersubscribed and subsequently cancelled) and “I ain’t Drunk” was another Tapas and Talks session that was undersubscribed and was subsequently cancelled).
Another strategic objective we had was to increase our use of technology. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, we had to be agile and recalibrate our remaining Training and Development Schedule which saw increased usage of Webinars via Technology platforms. Due to the protocols introduced by COVID-19 any face to face Learning and Development activities now had to take a back seat to the protocols of social/physical distancing. Virtual meetings, lunchtime and evening webinars for learning were created and hosted by our Executive Committee Members. This new content and the different webinar series were all well received as
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they each dealt impactfully with a new set of challenges facing businesses and employees in both sectors. Our association proved to be a wealth of knowledge and advise in these unprecedented times.
Overall, when I reflect on my time in office, I would proudly say that 90% of our activities were successfully conducted and for the most part we have received good feedback and interest from those who attended the sessions!
Much work and collaboration went into planning, naming, marketing and arranging of the logistics behind each activity and I want to take this opportunity to publicly say thank you on behalf of the L& D Committee to everyone who worked together to make the each event a success during the last year. To our participants thank you for your continued support. To our business leaders, Facilitators, the current Executive Committee of Management, our subcommittee members, active HRMAB Members, Trustees, honorary members, and our Secretariat thank you. You have in some way or at some point and time provided us with insights and or work tirelessly to provide input, gave us a kind word or a suggestion relating to a Facilitator/Presenters or a recommendations regarding content all in an effort to uplift our profession and our HRMAB brand.
Our schedule of Training and Development initiatives is provided below for your perusal:
COB Members HR Clinic
27th April 2019
25 persons
COB Level Up Members Education Session
18th & 25th May 2019
21 persons
Win an internship opportunity Competition
Competition ended 30th June 2019
Won by Adam Sayer
Get Fired Up Networking is the Key with Raphael Saul
14th Aug 2019
40 persons
Human Capital Trends with Deloitte (half day workshop)
23rd Aug 2019
10 persons
Human Resources Clinics – Parkinson Resource Centre
14th Oct 2019
35 persons
Tapas & Talks Deconstruction of the First Citizens Case with Christopher Blackman and Liesel Weekes
29th October 2019 (Collab with IR Committee)
Sold Out
Different the new Normal with Eudalie Wickham-Ashby, Donnya Piggott and Minister of Labour Hon Colin Jordan
14th November 2019
27 persons
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“No Means No” Webinar (Collab with IR Committee)
20th Feb 2020
CV Writing/Business Planning and Entrepreneurship Workshop in association with Caricom Youth Ambassadors and Hon Santia Bradshaw
8th Feb 2020
35 Persons
WEBINARS – Virtual Learning & Development Series hosted by members of the HRMAB Executive:
- HR Role in COVID-19 Preparation Series– 16th,19th 23rd & 30th March 2020
- Contract and Policy Management- 19th March 2020
- Where do we go from here? – 30th March 2020
- Leadership Lifeline 30 Minute toolbox Talks – 5th 7th,12th, 14th May 2020
- Working from Home: Balancing a Virtual Workforce & Office – 25th May 2020
Carrie-Ann Morris Searle
Carrie-Ann Morris-Searle, SHRM-SCP
Chairperson, Training & Development Committee