THE TEAM at Applied Performance Solutions Inc. want to ensure that adolescents have the requisite skills after they leave high school.

Recently organisational specialist Elaine Bourne and facilitator Kenny Bovell instructed 15 students from some of the island's secondary schools on life skills to help them cope with school, entering the world of work and other challenges which might confront them.

Bourne said the programme Life Skills For Teens has modules including: An In-Depth Look At Self; Influences; Communication and Preparing For Adulthood.

The programme ran every Saturday for five weeks at the University of the West Indies School of Continuing Studies, The Pine, St Michael.

"You try to get them early to build up their skills, so when they come to the work place, you have good people to work well and execute the task. It's about productivity," Bourne explained.

She said the programme helped the children to build communication in the family.

Headboy of St James Secondary School, Rommel Waterman, 15, and Shakira Sealy, 17, of The Lodge School, participated in the programme for the second time.

Both said the sessions helped them to build on self esteem, confidence, solve problems more effectively, lead groups, communicate with peers more effectively, be assertive, and motivational. (KB)