Caribbean and Latin American scholarships [scholarship] program [CLASP] : sixth annual report

In all, more than 17,000 persons have initiated training in the United States, of whom 44% are women and 87% are from socially, ethnically, or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Based on exit interviews with trainees, the program is a success: nearly 93% have been able to put into practice what they learned in their training program and nearly 82% felt they had increased their understanding of the U.S. way of life very much. The following lessons have been learned. (1) Trainees" positive views of the United states are strongly associated with their satisfaction with the in-country pre-departure orientation. Returned trainees are valuable resources for these orientations. It is important to provide realistic and accurate information in the orientation (in order to lessen culture shock). Orientation programs should also encourage trainees to educate Americans about their home countries. (2) Short-term training is most successful when conducted in trainees" native languages. Homestays with families who did not speak the trainee"s language have resulted in trainees who felt isolated. On the other hand, many trainees feel that homestays increased their appreciation of the U.S. Older trainees are the least likely to develop a positive view of the United states. (3) Trainers need advance information about the background of the trainees, and it is important that all parties have a common perception of the training objective. The diversity of CLASP training often requires specially tailored programs, which because of their uniqueness and creativity, may be more problematical than proven programs. Mixing trainees from divergent backgrounds, educational levels, and age groups frequently presents a serious obstacle to achievement of the training objective. (4) Timely compensation for medical expenses has been an ongoing problem, as has dissatisfaction with stipends. Trainees should be prepared during the orientation so that their expectations are not too high. (5) Among returnees, self-employed trainees report most often that they are successful in implementing their new skills, presumably because their worklife permits flexibility and initiative. Trainees who are recruited into the program directly from school or from more narrow professional or occupational fields seem to have more difficulty in applying their training experience, and therefore represent special targets for follow-on programs. Long-term training provides more career benefits than does short-term training. (6) The concept of a follow-on program should be introduced at the orientation stage. Also, support services are essential as trainees re-enter their cultures as job-seeking adults. Many trainees report that they are serving as multipliers by sharing with others the skills gained during their training. Includes country profiles and composite trainee profiles. (Author abstract, modified)