Providing a ray of hope for the nation’s jobless, Mario Braam is a ‘Special Person’

Feb 24, 2019 Features / Columnists, Special Person

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 “While there are many jobs out there some people are not ready to take advantage of them. So what this organization is designed to do is help mould people…if they are missing a few things or they need a certain career but aren’t academically ready for it, we guide them and help them to get there based on the needs of the company [where they are aspiring to work].”

 

By Sharmain Grainger

Helping others is not merely an undertaking but rather a craft that few people have been able to master. You see, there are some who may lend support to the needy or vulnerable every now and then, and there are those who help after being reached out to, but a person who chooses to help another because they see a need can easily be classified as the best of them all.
But what is interesting to note is that while helping others is second nature to some people, there are others who belatedly discover that they too have a knack for such undertakings. One such individual is Mario Braam, a young man who currently sits at the helm of an organization called the Job Centre.

Yes, as the name suggests, the organization is one which has as its mission to match organisations with suitably qualified persons to fill vacant positions. What is interesting to note though, is that the organization does not merely find the ideal employees, but they have been known to produce quite a few too.
This is in light of the fact, Mario explained, that there have been occasions when persons accessed the employment sourcing his company offers, seeking a particular job, but were not qualified for same. In order to ensure that such individuals are given at least a fighting chance to achieve their dream of a particular career, Mario decided to include a component to the business which also offers academic and skills training.
Although still in its fledgling stage, the organization has already been able to find placement for in excess of 200 employees [seven to 10 per week] and currently has more than 100 organisations as its clients. But this is only a start, as Mario has already visualized his company growing by leaps and bounds, with a view of helping as many people as possible, from across the ethnic and political divide, to achieve the goal of being gainfully employed.

WANTING TO DO MORE

But establishing the Job Centre was not an accidental undertaking for Mario. You see, after being affiliated with another organization with a similar mission, Mario decided to branch out with the support of his best friend and now business partner, Troy Banwarie. The two have a friendship going back close to 30 years and Mario intimated recently, “I’ve known him since 1990 when we joined St Joseph’s [High School]…now he is an integral part of the Job Centre, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
But Troy merely considers himself a ‘silent partner’ and like those who have benefited from the services offered, he too has had no objection to Mario being the face of the organization.
Speaking from his Chief Executive Officer [CEO] desk, which overlooks the operation of the business situated at Lot 43 Croal and Alexander Streets, Georgetown, Mario spoke of the motivation which was instrumental in getting such a business idea off the ground.
“The motivation came from when a whole lot of people were placed on the breadline because a number of sugar estates had to shut down…I read a number of articles in the newspaper that this was having an impact on many communities, and I knew I wanted to do something to help address this situation,” Mario reflected.
He recognized the need for employment as a key factor to address a number of glaring societal challenges. In conceptualizing the employment business, Mario was able to ascertained that “while there are many jobs out there, some people are not ready to take advantage of them. So what this organization is designed to do is help mould people…if they are missing a few things or they need a certain career but aren’t academically ready for it, we guide them and help them to get there based on the needs of the company [where they are aspiring to work].”

NEEDED SUPPORT
While having Troy on board was a plus, Mario recalled that it might not have been as successful had it not been for the added support of Vidya Ram. The ever-versatile Vidya is the Head of the organisation’s educational department, or simply put, she’s the principal. She may appear young, but embodies an especially old soul that tolerates nothing but discipline and efficiency, which Mario has found to be crucial to the sustainable functioning of the organization, which has also been known to link applicants to international institutions to further their studies.

According to Mario, as the key player in the educational department, Vidya has had a direct hand in preparing a number of individuals, especially young females, for the world of work and she has done so with distinction, allowing for the business to really make an indelible mark.
“We aim to provide hands-on experience and training to all our applicants to navigate the path to their career with clarity, competence and confidence,” Vidya said of the Job Centre.
The two, like in the case of Troy, have been friends for a number of years, and also share the view that there is need to bridge the gap between organisations and suitable employees. But according to Vidya, she became more inclined to be a part of such a venture after a conversation with Mario, during which he said to her, “I really love helping people like this…he told me he was getting such satisfaction from helping unemployed people find a job and basically find their way. He was finding pleasure in doing this good thing and I was happy to be a part of that.”
Although the organization started off at a location at Avenue of the Republic that did not last owing to traffic congestion challenges. A few other locations were considered before the current location, the top flat of a three-storey green and cream building at the southern junction of Croal and Alexander Streets, became a reality.

CRUCIAL COLLABORATION
Once someone proves themselves worthy of reaching the top flat of the building [that is by climbing two flights of stairs], the organisation’s track record suggests that, at the most, within a matter of weeks that person will be gainfully employed.

The doors of the Job Centre are opened between the hours of 8 am – 4 pm, Monday through Friday, to facilitate job sourcing, but on Saturdays and Sundays persons are able to access classes aimed at preparing them for the job market. While the organization’s main targets are persons just out of school with their CXC results, Mario did reveal that others, with little or no qualifications, are not discriminated against.
“Once you are at a legal working age and you have a desire to work, that is all we need to work with you…you must have that passion to do what it takes to be employed. The more we can help to reduce the number of persons who have nothing to do so they don’t have to be liming and doing things that are unlawful, we will be fulfilling our aim to make this country a better place,” said Mario.
Upon entry, an individual seeking the services offered by the Job Centre, will be enlightened about the purpose of the organization. During that engagement, the individual in need of a job is required to fill up an application form and is advised that with a fee of $5,000 they could be eligible for a six-month membership, during which the organization is obligated to find them a total of three job placements.
This is done, Mario explained, since there are occasions that persons, for various reasons, are not able to retain the first, or second job for that matter, they are matched with. He, however, gave assurance that “most people usually keep their first jobs, but just in case, we have that plan in place for those who aren’t able to keep their first job.”
Among the reasons that persons have been unable to retain jobs are their inability to work shifts and the location of the job site.

EXPANDING VISION
Even as he basks in the success that the business has already seen, Mario, together with his partner and staffers, has already started to visualize the evolution of the organisation. By the end of this year, he envisages the organisation’s clients – both applicants and companies – growing. In fact he disclosed that while jobs are sourced at organisations engaged in a variety of trades, efforts will be made to align with even more with reputable records. Simultaneously, he said that plans to improve the Job Centre’s educational programmes will unfold even as moves are made to “expand our company by providing services that enhance our financial growth and our relationships with our clients and applicants.”
Although the company is currently only linked to privately-operated organisations, Mario has his eyes set on partnering with government organisations too.

“We have had a number of people who have come in to us saying they want a government job and that they want to ensure that their taxes and NIS are paid, so if we are able to partner with government, we can definitely prepare people for government jobs too,” he shared.
Even as this father of three [Jonathon, Mia and Matthew] eyes expansion, he noted that “the Job Centre will remain committed to connecting great companies with great employees and opening opportunities for both by providing the highest quality of outsourced employment and human services.”

Moreover, the vision of the Centre is to “continuously strive to become the preferred source for employment and human resources service in Guyana. We are dedicated to serving our clients and the country with the highest levels of service, knowledge, professionalism, honesty and integrity,” added Mario, as he spoke of the future of the Job Centre.
He is convinced that the organization will continually achieve its goal of inspiring, challenging and preparing all Job Centre applicants to find careers that reflect their values and lead lives of connection and meaning.
“We will devote ourselves to become unsurpassed in client’s satisfaction and strive to maintain our reputation as a professional small business with principles and integrity and a friendly organization that supports our clients with the immediate response to their needs,” Mario added.
For being dedicated to a noble initiative that helps to find employment for the unemployed, today we at Kaieteur News recognize Mario Braam as our ‘Special Person’.

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