BASSETERRE ST. KITTS (October 4, 2009) -- Prime Minister, the Hon Dr Denzil Douglas, said on Saturday night that the training currently being offered to young people by way of the Youth Empowerment through Skills (YES) programme has taken his government’s empowerment exercise a notch higher.
Prime Minister Douglas, who was the guest of honour at an evening of fine dining presented by 21 trainees of the hospitality wing of the YES Programme that are based at the Royal St. Kitts Hotel and Casino, said he was quite impressed by the high standards displayed by the trainees under Michael Guishard and Movita Swanston-Richardson.
“I am very happy that I came because from the ambience in this dining room I am very confident that it demonstrates an atmosphere of fine dining,” said the Prime Minister who had to leave a function that was going on at Cayon. “When I look at how the young ladies and the young men who are waiting upon us this evening are dressed, I am further convinced that I am engaged in fine dining here at the Jack Tar Village (Royal St. Kitts Hotel).”
He told them that the service he had received within the few minutes of his arrival at the Royal St. Kitts Hotel confirmed to him that the skills the facilitators had imparted made the trainees capable of demonstrating what they had learned within the few weeks the training had been on, which included the five course dinner on offer.
“It is not only the ambience that has been good, but so far my first course, my soup, which has an exquisite taste that I have never had before and I want to congratulate the chef for providing such a tasty first course in this fine dinner that I am presently engaged in,” observed Dr Douglas.
On behalf of his Cabinet colleagues, who were at a function taking place simultaneously at Cayon, and on behalf of members of his government, he thanked the facilitators and members of the YES Programme Secretariat and the Youth Skills (National Skills Training Programme) for giving tremendous opportunities to the country’s youth in their attempt to transform their lives.
“I want to continue to commend you, I wish you well and I look forward when you would not only be the waiters and the waitresses but you would be owners of your own business and further take the empowerment exercise one notch up as you improve the quality of your lives and as you bring the hospitality service to a higher level for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis and for the benefit of those who will visit us here,” commented the Prime Minister, who ended by saying: “It is definitely working. Thank you.”
Training facilitator, Michael Guishard, decried the lack of personalised service at some business places in town and noted that he had taught the trainees in his class that eye to eye contact with every guest was very important and that they should aspire to go above and beyond the call of duty for the customer.
“We see that when we go to offices, some people are on the phone chatting and the customer is not getting any attention,” commented Guishard.. “We want to make sure that we break that as we want to be customer minded. We want to focus on our customer – let us focus on our customer and that is why I thank the Prime Minister and his Cabinet members for putting on such a programme.”
During the five course dinner, which was also attended by Vancelyn Williams, manager at YES Programme secretariat, a number of the secretariat staff, and June James of the National Skills Training Programme who is a member of the YES Programme’s Implementing Committee, trainee Shawn Mills gave the vote of thanks.
