CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (DECEMBER 25, 2009) – Minister with responsibility for Social Development in the Nevis Island Administration [NIA] Honourable Hensley Daniel, said equipping the island’s youth with the necessary skills to be successful tradespersons would secure a promising future for Nevis.
The Minister was at the time addressing a handful of the young men at the Administration Building Conference Room in Charlestown on Monday, who had recently returned to Nevis from the second round of a three-month skills training programme in Trinidad.
The programme, which was done in collaboration with Metal Industries Company Limited [MIC] as part of the NIA’s Helping You Prepare for Employment programme [HYPE] saw 18 young me from the various parishes on the island successfully graduate.
Minister Daniel travelled to Trinidad last week to attend the graduation ceremony and expressed his satisfaction with the level of work that the Nevis students had produced.
“We had an outstanding performance from all of the trainees. The instructors indicated to me that they have all done very well and I think, we as Nevisians are very proud of them,” he said.
The Minister also spoke to the process of selection of the 18 students for the training programme.
“We took our cue, from the 2001 poverty survey in Nevis, that there are too many people in low paying jobs because of low levels of certification both at the academic and technical level[s] and what we sought to do, based on that finding, is to bridge the gap.
“What we have done is to provide the young people with an opportunity where they can market their skills and where they can earn a greater level of income,” Minister Daniel said.
Meantime, Mr. Akeem Taylor of the St. John’s Parish studied plumbing with MIC and recorded his gratitude to the Ministry on behalf of the recent graduates. He spoke of the developmental impact that the training had on him.
“I didn’t know anything about the plumbing activities, coming back knowing a lot more, [such as how to] put up face basins and those kinds of stuff. I’m just thanking the government once more for the opportunity to send us away and thank my mother for helping and supporting me and sending me to Trinidad,” Taylor said.
Also present at the welcome back event were Area Representative for the St. Pauls Parish Hon. Robelto Hector and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development Mr. Alsted Pemberton.
