Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 15, 2019 (S.T.E.P.) — Persons employed on the Skills Training Empowerment Programme (STEP) as community enhancement workers are making a substantial contribution to the development of the country and no one should minimise the contribution they are making.
“You are making as equal a contribution as anybody else in any other government departments, and that is why we want you to begin the process of raising the bar on the STEP,” Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr Osbert DeSuza, told STEP community enhancement workers on Thursday April 11 at a Soft Skills Training session on Conflict Management held at the St. Paul’s Community Centre. “Begin the process of making people see you on the STEP differently.”
Mr DeSuza, who has direct responsibility for the Skills Training Empowerment Programme, advised the community enhancement workers that the STEP had moved away from referring to them as clean-up groups and gangs, and is referring to them in an uplifting way as community enhancement teams.
“You are enhancing the communities where you live; you are enhancing the communities where you do not live,” observed the Permanent Secretary. “That is the contribution and do not for one minute allow anybody to tell you that because you are on the STEP, your contribution is insignificant. That is not so. I am making a contribution in the Office of the Prime Minister and you are making a contribution enhancing the environment.”
Making a reference to the Soft Skills training sessions which are being facilitated by Dr Neals Chitan, who is an International Social Skills Consultant and Crime Reduction Specialist, and President of Motiv-8 For Change International, Mr DeSuza told the community enhancement workers that government ministries and departments also have what is called the Professional Development Day.
“What we need is to bring you some soft skills that you can understand that you are as significant as anybody in nay department or any ministry that has Professional Development Day,” pointed out Mr DeSuza. “We want you to think about a change of attitude that we see coming from some of you. And that is the reason why we thought from the STEP about bringing to you some soft skills training.”
Also addressing the STEP community enhancement workers at the opening ceremony of the Soft Skills training session on Conflict Management were Mr Emile Greene, Acting Director of the Skills Training Empowerment Programme (STEP); and Mr William Phillip, STEP Field Coordinator.
The opening ceremony was chaired by STEP Accountant Mr Clive Nias, and in attendance included STEP Senior Field Officer Mr Jason McKoy, STEP Field Officer Mr Cleneiro McMahon, STEP Field Supervisors Mr Keith Phipps, Mr Keith Hendricks, and Mr Leslian Daniel, and Motiv-8 For Change International Administrative Assistant Mr Dexter Edwards.
The next Soft Skills Training session organised for the STEP Community Enhancement Workers, which will be the last one in the series ‘Conflict Management’ on St. Kitts, will be held on Thursday April 18 at the St. Peter’s Community Centre for groups from the St. Peter’s, Stapleton and New Road areas.
ENDS
