Scores of persons across St. Kitts and Nevis went out to the recent Park Hyatt St. Kitts Information Sessions to learn more about the hotel and the many job opportunities available.
Minister of Public Infrastructure, Honourable Ian ‘Patches’ Liburd, visited one of the sessions in his constituency and said it was good to see the interest of residents for this particular development.
“I’m extremely happy that there’s an appetite for jobs here in the community and beyond and people wanting to go into the hospitality sector,” he said. “We want as a Government to facilitate an environment that creates employment for other jobs and in particular, the hospitality sector. If our own people can fill those jobs that will be really, really heartwarming.”
A number of persons currently attached to the People’s Empowerment Programme (PEP) which is soon to be rebranded as the Skills Training and Empowerment Programme (STEP), attended the information session. Minister Liburd said it was especially pleasing to see the young men and women continue to pursue opportunities for advancement.
“We want to make people self reliant,” Minister Liburd said, noting that the main focus of STEP is to truly empower trainees with skills to succeed in life. “We have to get people to increase and enhance their value, promote their own self esteem and try to do things on their own as we create a sense of independence in people and get away from this culture of dependency.”
Minister Liburd cited the projected growth for the economy and said locals must prepare themselves to capitalize on the opportunities.
“Our people do have the aptitude; all they need is the attitude and their attitude will determine their altitude, so once we get that inculcated into our people, we will go places,” he said. “The development is ongoing in St. Kitts and Nevis. You would have heard our Prime Minister [Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris] speak to the economic growth, [we are] number one in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and beyond. So once the economy starts to grow then the jobs will be available and we hope and pray that our people will look towards the private sector and take up those jobs and try to improve their skills.”
