Giving skills to earn a living

Thirty persons graduated from a three-month apprenticeship programme on small outboard engine repair and boat building and repair.

The training was held in three communities: Fond St Jean, San Sauveur and Layou at a cost of $70, 000.

Ministry of Trade Energy and Employment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the National Employment Programme (NEP), Fisheries Division and KID, a non-profit organization, collaborated to implement the project.

The graduation ceremony was held at the Fisheries Division Conference Room on March 16.

Vincent Etienne, the Director of the Apprenticeship Programme said that the aim of the programme is to enhance job creation through skills-based training.

"One of the things we are trying to do…is to encourage private investment in training that will expand economic development activities…In the Ministry of Employment and particularly through the apprenticeship programme is to lower the national employment rate," said Etienne.
He added that this training will impact the residents of Petite Savanne to Dubique who suffered from the ravages of Tropical Storm Erika.

"Those participants showed extreme courage and never once did I see a request for pity or neither during the training had I seen an outburst or anger for what they experienced or what they were going through the task of recovery," he said.

He said that they showed determination to succeed and continuously expressed satisfaction for the opportunity that was given to them.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Representative for the St Joseph Constituency Kelver Darroux said: "Whenever you are able to pass on skills to individuals you empower them and give them the opportunity to provide for themselves and their families by enriching them with these skills."

He said the boat building module is one that is very important because fishing is a very lucrative sector.

"We need individuals that have the skills and the mind set to build the boats and to have repairs done to boats so that we can see an ongoing business as it relates to fishing," he said.