Education
JAM | May 30, 2023

‘Productivity in Session’ school tour gets headstart at St. George’s College

Candice Stewart

Candice Stewart / Our Today

Reading Time: 6 minutes
Productivity Ambassador, Nicole McLaren-Campbell engaging with students at St. George’s College for a Productivity in Session School Tour activity on Tuesday (May 30). (Vanassa McKenzie photo)

Scores of male students at the St. George’s College were, today (May 30), engaged about their levels of productivity and how increased productivity can improve their lives during a session during the Jamaica Productivity Centre’s (JPC) ‘Productivity in Session’ school tour.

The engagement, executed through the JPC’s Productivity Clubs in Schools programme, took place at the the school where the organisation, alongside Productivity Ambassador, Nicole McLaren-Campbell shared with the students, the benefits and importance of maximising on the tools that they have to achieve optimum productivity at school and ultimately, their lives.

McLaren-Campbell shared productivity strategies and tools that the boys can apply in achieving their academic and personal goals. The initiative seeks to encourage young people to develop a productivity-centred mindset in their daily lives.

The Productivity Clubs in Schools programme is something that we piloted a few years ago. We intended to really get into the minds of our young ones about the importance of productivity. Guess what? They are our future, the country really is in their hands and our future is in their hands.

Tamar Nelson, chief executive director of the Jamaica Productivity Centre

In an interview with Our Today, Tamar Nelson, chief technical director of the JPC, said that as the organisation approaches its 20th anniversary on June 20, they wanted to rekindle engagement with youth about their levels of productivity and how such productivity can improve their lives.

“The Productivity Clubs in Schools programme is something that we piloted a few years ago. We intended to really get into the minds of our young ones about the importance of productivity. Guess what? They are our future, the country really is in their hands and our future is in their hands,” she said.

“So, before [students] even enter into the workforce, in order for them to understand the role they play in making Jamaica the place to live raise families and do business, they have to start maximising on their productivity early. They have to understand what that means and how they contribute to the country’s productivity. [Students] can be start being productive at school, get better grades, and make better use of their time,” added Nelson.

Jamaica Productivity Centre

Nelson highlighted that with consistent practice of productivity, students who matriculate from the various levels of standard education and head into the workforce, “will be looking for ways to improve and to be better. That thinking of continuous improvement is something that will serve them throughout their lives – to be the better versions of ourselves today than we were yesterday and tomorrow better than today,” she added, indicating that starting productivity early will greatly benefit them.

She shared that the Productivity Clubs in Schools programme was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic but the thrust with the activity at St. George’s College is to recommence engagement with students once again in a face-to-face manner.

For her part, McLaren-Campbell emphasised to the young men that “productivity is freedom”.

Productivity Ambassador, Nicole McLaren-Campbell engaging with students at St. George’s College for a Productivity in Session School Tour activity on Tuesday (May 30).

She said, “In this conversation about productivity, we can’t hide from the relationship between productivity and success. Productivity has this really huge potential to move the country forward and part of my role is to teach people about productivity and why they should care.”

“Do you know that unlocking your personal productivity is the key to you being able to do whatever you want to do and do them very well? If you don’t unlock the keys to your productivity now, you’re going to find it difficult to manage multiple things, get the results you want, and earn the income that you want,” she stressed.

McLaren-Campbell shared with the students the importance of focusing on their goals, how they work and what they can do to maximise on their potential, emphasising that people work at different paces and as such, they should never focus on how other students achieve a task in less time than they are able to. She called it, ‘work with what you have and make the best out of it’.

Productivity Ambassador, Nicole McLaren-Campbell engaging with students at St. George’s College for a Productivity in Session School Tour activity on Tuesday (May 30). (Vanassa McKenzie photo)

She shared with the students that they should challenge themselves in achieving their goals and that they should focus on how best they can get the most out situations.

The productivity ambassador encouraged the students to block all distractions and put themselves and their goals first because of the rabbit hole that social media can be.

McLaren-Campbell said, “If you are able to get a hold of your distractions and design a productivity system for yourself to maximise on how best you work,” you will be ahead of the game but “you have to figure out how you best work”. She shared the following tips and strategies:

  • time blocking (block your time to focus on the tasks you need to complete and goals you should accomplish)
  • set clear and specific goals
  • get enough sleep and rest
  • don’t work with your phone in the room if you know your phone is a distraction
  • set a timer during your time blocks and take breaks
  • create an alter ego that gets activated while working towards your goals
Productivity Ambassador, Nicole McLaren-Campbell engaging with students at St. George’s College for a Productivity in Session School Tour activity on Tuesday (May 30). (Vanassa McKenzie photo)

She also encouraged to students to set themselves up for success and not struggle.

At the end of her presentation, McLaren-Campbell shared that handful of the students would benefit from a three-month access to programme established by her called the Teen Success Programme. It focuses on strengthening productivity and helping participants maximise on the tools they have to achieve what they want.

Productivity Clubs

The JPC helped to establish one productivity club at the Immaculate Conception High School in 2018 at the onset of their In-School Productivity campaign. The organisation has indicated that there are plans to create more clubs.

The club’s main objective is to introduce and teach students about the concept of productivity and time management.

Nelson told Our Today that with the JPC’s plan, the organisation is looking for partners and support to establish the programme in as many schools isalndwide “where students can identify ways to have better use of their time.”

Jamaica Productivity Centre

The school tour is one of the Centre’s 20th anniversary productivity based activities leading up to its annual World Productivity Day Forum, a hybrid event to be held on June 20. This year’s activities for the forum will be conducted under the theme, ‘Paving Productivity Pathways to a Prosperous Nation.’

Other schools expected to be along the tour’s path are St. Andrew High School for Girls and the Wolmer’s Trust High School for Girls.

The Jamaica Productivity Centre is the National Organization responsible for promoting and facilitating productivity improvement in Jamaica. The mission of the Centre is to assist the nation in being more productive, innovative and competitive through advocacy, consultancy, research and knowledge management, and technical assistance.

Connect with the Jamaica Productivity Centre on Instagram @jamaicaproductivity or at the page on the Ministry of Labour and Social Security website at mlss.gov.jm/departments/jamaica-productivity-centre/

RELATED McLaren-Campbell warns students of the distractions associated with social media

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