WHEN ADLYN Astley landed a job at the new Tastee Patties location in May Pen in May, she had no idea that within a month, she would rise from cook to supervisor, and then to assistant manager of the establishment.
While some may credit her meteoric rise to pure good luck, the young wife and mother attributes it to hard work and the strong foundation laid through her participation in the Jamaica 4-H Club's Home Economics Skills Training programme.
"The 4-H training institute is a very good place for any young person who would want to acquire the skill of food preparation," she said. "Because other than just being NCTVET (National Council on Technical Vocational Education and Training) qualified after you're finished, it carries you on field trips where you learn more about food preparation (and) you do dishes for various functions."
The humble 39-year-old, who is wife to Jack and mother of 17-year-old Alvaroe and Jackeecia, aged 10, says she derives great satisfaction from preparing delectable dishes. She also loves to interact with people and considers that the combination of these two passions has helped in her profession.
REALISING POTENTIALS
Executive director of the Jamaica 4-H Club, Lenworth Fulton, says the movement helps persons to realise their potential by providing them with necessary skills.
He said 95 per cent of the 229 young people who have benefited from training since the club relaunched its skills training programmes in 2001 have been able to gain employment.
"In 2001, we restarted the training programme, including the tractor, home economics and food and hospitality management training programmes and we did a course in citrus management," Mr. Fulton said.
He added that in 2001, the Jamaica 4-H graduated eight persons and, in 2002, graduated 38 persons. In 2003, the club graduated 50 persons, while in 2005, it graduated 133 persons, making the total number 229.
Mr. Fulton said the 4-H movement has fostered the development of some 65,000 'clubbites' across Jamaica in 650 schools and 25 church and community clubs.
The home economics course is carried out at the Denbigh Training Centre in Clarendon and is offered to persons 18 years and older.
