Barbados Today

The incoming president of the Barbados Association of Office Professionals has placed increased membership, particularly for younger people, at the top of her agenda for the year ahead.

Alicia Graham, the youngest member of the association, told Barbados TODAY this morning, she would however, continue those “major” initiatives that had been started under her predecessor, whose tenure expires at the end of June.

Graham, a former president of the BAOP’s junior arm, said too, she wanted to increase public awareness about the true role of office professionals.

“For me, I want to bridge the gap between the myth, as persons would say, that an office professional is someone who always types. That is not it. An office professional basically runs the office. So to actually get rid of the unknown about office professionals, I would really like to promote that and encourage younger persons to join,” said Graham, who is an office professional in the Faculty of Law at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies.

She also pointed out that her intention was to disabuse people’s minds of the notion that her organisation was only for females. The president-elect said she planned, as well, to push the importance of etiquette, which she believed was lacking among many entering the world of work.

“For me, being an office professional, I realise that after a while you actually have the hands-on experience; and being in BAOP, has really helped me to … be very tactful in situations that I have to deal with,” added Graham.

Considering the talk about young people being involved in negative behaviour, she is promising to sensitise the public on what her association has to offer. (EJ)