Pictured: Rebecca Yu, Sharon Richards, Mayor Dr Peter Gangemi and Patrick Toolan.
Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Peter Gangemi has congratulated The Sydney Hills Youth Ambassadors, Hills Youth Army and the Hills Toastmasters for their efforts to introduce a new workshop aimed at helping young people gain the skills and the confidence to speak in public.
The Public Speaking and Confidence Workshop, which will be held on Saturday 12 November, 2022 at Council’s Administration Building in Norwest, has been so popular among young people, aged 15-24 years, that a waitlist has now been created.
“It is fantastic that so many young people want to learn how to speak more confidently in public,” Mayor Gangemi said.
“Participants will be able to use the skills they have learnt in this special workshop in everyday life – whether that be in a job interview, during a speech at school or just talking to people generally.
“I want to thank our Sydney Hills Youth Ambassadors, Hayley Mogilin and Rebecca Yu, the Hills Youth Army and our local Toastmasters for making this workshop available to young people in The Hills Shire,” Mayor Gangemi added.
The special one-time workshop will cover a range of skills including: how to conduct yourself in an interview; how to speak confidently; how to present a speech; leadership skills; how to offer constructive evaluation; and how to do an impromptu speech.
Sydney Hills Youth Ambassador Hayley Mogilin said she herself found the workshop very beneficial.
“It was great to see the idea of this workshop come to life,” she said
“I believe it is important to have these interpersonal skills, especially moving into the workplace to develop the leaders of the future.
“The workshop will cover topics that will be invaluable to our future as we continue to develop our skills,” Hayley added.
Sydney Hills Youth Ambassador Rebecca Yu said she was overwhelmed by the response to the workshop.
“It’s wonderful to have so many people interested in learning how to speak confidently,” she said.
“Communication is so important, especially in terms of connecting with others.
“Our event, with the help from the Toastmasters, will be a wonderful and enjoyable way to learn the importance of this skill,” Rebecca added.
Meanwhile, Toastmaster’s member Terrence Swan said that participants will learn a lifelong skill.
“Learning to speak confidently is important in communicating a message with clarity, empathy, and authority,” Mr Swan added.
