Education

When you discover that in the rural schools the ANNUAL budget per student FOR ALL SERVICES AND MATERIALS is $20 (no, that’s not a typo!), it’s a pretty safe bet to say that there are ‘some gaps’ in the educational opportunities in Panama. Nowhere does this reflect more glaringly than in the job market. Employers everywhere are simply fit to be tied as they try to deal with not only cultural challenges but equally and often more so, serious educational deficiencies. Numerous large companies have passed Panama up as a regional headquarters in Latin America because of this. The lost job opportunities are innumerable. Yet the Panama economy is one of the most stable and fastest growing in the world. The educational gap has forced the government to create incentives to bring in foreign workers through some very attractive and easily obtainable immigration programs geared to foreigners.

What this means, is that the Panamanians are being left behind in the growing economy and the cycle of poverty continues unabated. There is no greater need in Panama than sound education. PCF is working to fill the gap. Here are some of the programs we are currently offering:

• The PCF ‘Professionalism’ course
• English classes for all levels
• Spanish classes for foreigners
• Music and Art classes
• Panama History
• Customer Service
• Job training
• More, see below…

PCF is also working in alliance with the educational training foundation called FUNDADER and INADEH which is a national government job training organisation. Through our relationships with these organisations, which are already well founded in their educational resources, we can use our training facility for them to use as an ‘annex’ for their programs and give them a better reach to our local people. It also gives our local people better access to more educational opportunities.

Regarding the PCF PROFESSIONALISM COURSE:

We find that the biggest reason for ‘culture clash’ between foreign born and educated employers and the local labor force is due to a serious lack of training in basic values and work ethic. Without a common value system between employer and employee, the only possible result is conflict and disappointment which is not good for a ‘career’ of advancement, nor is it good for productivity in any business.

The PCF PROFESSIONALISM course is taught in three, 2 hour sessions. In these sessions we drill on how the employee needs to ‘Add Value’ to his employer by demonstrating through his behavior and performance that his values include:

• Responsibility
• How to properly show respect to others as well as oneself
• Punctuality
• Team Player
• Good Listener
• Can follow instructions
• Does more than expected, whatever is needed, not just what he is asked to do.
• How a ‘Professional’ is different from anybody on the street
• How to set goals, mark progress, make adjustments and succeed
• How to present oneself properly
• Professional etiquette
• Keeping himself organised
• How to prepare a proper Resume (C.V.) and business card
• How to conduct an interview
• and much more….

PCF offers a certificate to graduates of the class. If they are late to one class, they have to repeat the entire session to get the certificate. If they miss a session, they have to start over from the beginning to get the certificate. With the certificate, employers know that this person has achieved something above the ordinary and this in itself sets the candidate apart from others who may be competing for the job.

Once in the job, the values instilled will hopefully bear fruit and lead to a happy and productive employer/employee relationship. As you might imagine, this is not ‘light duty’. It requires infrastructure, staff and facilities to maintain not to mention high energy to lead and initiate. To succeed in this effort we are seeking corporate sponsorships to allow us to build on the base of operations which is already established.

You can help Panamanians move forward and benefit from the growing economy with enhanced education for life! Be a part! Look at our Corporate Sponsorship opportunities. Click Here