The Belize Training and Employment Centre (BTEC), a unit of BELTRAIDE, will award certificates tomorrow, February 1st, to 66 persons who completed a tourism-based Job Preparedness Training in Belize City, which was held from 11th –27th January, 2017.
The Job Preparedness Training, which had the participation of one of the largest groups, was made up of two components: soft skills (attitudes and behaviours) and technical skills (industry specific).
This was the first time in Belize City that BTEC executed training in three technical areas: Front Desk, Introduction to Bartending and House-keeping/Janitorial.
Sixty-six persons (66) completed the training with over 98% completing successfully and the remaining 2% receiving certificate of participation. Each participant was required to sit a Pre-test in English, Customer Service and Basic Tourism Facts.
All participants had to successfully complete six (6) days of soft skills, two days of customer service, before they could begin their technical training.
BTEC partnered with Happy Maids for the execution of the House-keeping/Janitorial training. The training included both theory and practical. Participants went into the community and showcased their skills by cleaning homes and offices.
BTEC continued its partnership with the Belize Institute of Mixology for the delivery of the Introduction to Bartending and for the first time was able to offer Advance Bartending training to participants. Participants had to successfully complete both theory and practical for the Introduction before they were allowed to move on to the Advance Level.
BTEC’s staff facilitated the front desk training and was able to reach out to Ezee Solutions, a company that has front desk software, which was incorporated into the training.
BTEC Awards Certificates on Tourism Based Training
Goal to bring deficit below rate of growth of economy
Prime Minister Freundel Stuart has given the assurance that Government will continue to take the steps necessary to ensure that the country achieves, over time, the goal of bringing the deficit below the rate of growth of the economy.
He made the comments recently while delivering the feature address at the January 2017 Business Luncheon of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry, at the Hilton Barbados Resort.
Mr. Stuart stated: “To achieve this [reduction], we must begin by returning to a current account surplus as soon as possible and eliminate Government’s reliance on Central Bank financing of Government’s deficit. These measures will be broad based, inclusive, and most of all, responsible, utilising both traditional and non- traditional means, including, for example, voluntary debt refinancing for which we now have firm and credible offers on the table.”
The Prime Minister stressed that as they head into preparations for Government’s new budget for 2017-2018, he and his team were well aware that based on where they were at present, they would have to move with “more alacrity” to reduce the deficit and eventually the debt.
He urged the continuation of efforts to make linkages between the tourism and other sectors, even as Government moves apace with restructuring, particularly in the renewable energy sector, cultural industries, and in the creation of an environmentally- friendly green economy.
Special sitting of the Senate
It is notified that there will be a special sitting of the Senate on Monday, 30th January 2017, at 10:00 Am in the National Assembly Chamber in Belmopan.
ABSTEP starts its third cycle of The Temporary Employment Programme
The Antigua and Barbuda Skills Training and Empowerment Programme (ABSTEP), a skills development intervention, held its beneficiary orientation on January 12, 2017 to mark the official start of the third cycle of its Temporary Employment Programme.
Under the ABSTEP, individuals between the ages of 17-50 years will engage in hands-on work with community-based organizations.
More than 50 beneficiaries received job placements with the Barnes Hill Community Group, Another Chance Ministries– a faith-based organization, the Antigua and Barbuda Waste Recycling Centre, and the Freetown Community Group.
Beneficiaries attached to the Barnes Hill Community Group will help restore and renovate a centuries-old reservoir to serve as an alternate water source for the community. They will assist the Barnes Hill Community Group in developing a recreational park around the reservoir, which has been designated a heritage site. The Barnes Hill sub-project aims at improving the quality of life for members of the community and creating an enjoyable environment for visitors alike.
Under Another Chance Ministries’ sub-project, 15 beneficiaries will learn about environmental protection and electronic waste management. The sub-project is designed to reduce the dumping of electronic waste in the nation’s landfills.
Another 15 beneficiaries will work at the Antigua and Barbuda Waste Recycling Centre to minimize bulk waste in Antigua and Barbuda and divert non-biodegradable materials from the landfills through effective recycling.
Other ABSTEP beneficiaries will assist the Freetown Community Group in creating a Community Peace Park — a green space that will enhance and sustain the viability of community life in Freetown.
In the meantime, a fifth sub-project aimed at revitalizing the Victoria Park Botanical Gardens to make it a more usable space, particularly for persons with special needs, started November last year. The Department of the Environment, which manages the park, is undertaking that sub-project in collaboration with the Victory Centre, a school that caters to differently-abled children. Under this sub-project, beneficiaries are learning about greenhouse and nursery management, landscape management, and recreational park maintenance.
ABSTEP is a government programme offering temporary work and training opportunities to legal residents of Antigua and Barbuda. The programme is administered by the Labour Department through its One Stop Employment Centre. ABSTEP is designed to help individuals obtain and maintain full-time employment. The programme is a component of the Public and Social Sector Transformation Project, which is financed by the World Bank
More: http://www.ab.gov.ag
Serbia formalise diplomatic relations
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Republic of Serbia on Wednesday formalised diplomatic relations with a first Ambassador accredited to CARICOM from the south eastern European country.
CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, accepted the credentials of His Excellency Djerdj Matković at a simple ceremony at the Headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana on 11 January 2017, welcoming him to the “Community’s network of friends.”
Before this move to formalise relations, CARICOM and Serbia had interactions within the United Nations system, through Serbia’s observer status in the Non-Align Movement, and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. The Republic of Serbia also has bilateral relations with some CARICOM Member States through which it offered scholarships to CARICOM nationals under its World in Serbia Scholarship Project.
Against this backdrop Ambassador LaRocque told the Serbian envoy that it was timely and right to augment relations through the mechanism of his accreditation. He noted that they had chosen a time to strengthen ties in an era of “unprecedented promise and exceptional challenges.”
“We have the opportunity to partner to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Climate Change Agreement that aim to ensure global survival as well as create more just and equitable growth and distribution of wealth in the world.
CARICOM countries are small, but we have and will continue to make meaningful contributions to these aspirations. We believe that in partnership with Serbia and other like-minded countries, the scope of making development tangible for our people can be increased,” Secretary-General LaRocque said.
The Community was anxious, he said, to share its concerns as small, vulnerable, high-indebted middle-income countries with Serbia to secure its support. Those concerns, including the withdrawal of correspondent banking services from the Region, and the graduation of countries from access to concessionary development finance, were threats to the Community’s economic, social and trading well-being, Secretary-General LaRocque said. He added that the Community was equally anxious to hear and understand Serbia’s concerns and world views.
In his remarks, the Serbian Ambassador commended the endeavours of CARICOM Member States to foster cooperation in areas including the economy, security, climate change and sustainable development, human resource development, and foreign policy.
Noting that Serbia also applauded the Community’s efforts to find effective solutions to combat the environmental impacts of global warming and climate change – a challenge that required a global response – he added that his country also shared the Community’s concerns. Outlining the actions his country has taken to lead its own response, he said it had defined the steps to implement the Paris Agreement and had submitted its greenhouse gas reduction plan in June 2015, becoming one of the first ten countries in the world to officially submit a national contribution plan.
“I would like to underline the commitment of the Republic of Serbia to develop relations with the Caribbean Community and all its Member States … and to promote cooperation with a region where our country has already been active in the past… Although we are far apart geographically, the values and principles that we share get us closer to each other,” the newly accredited envoy told Secretary-General LaRocque.
Mr. LaRocque and the new Serbian envoy, in a discussion that followed the accreditation, agreed on the need to collaborate on adaptation to and mitigation of Climate Change and tackling issues of crime and security, among other areas of cooperation.
In discussing potential areas of co-operation, they looked at agriculture and human resource development. They both agreed on the need to stem the flow of illegal drugs and small arms as well as human trafficking, with Secretary-General LaRocque stressing the importance of ratification of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty to assist in the battle against the arms trade.
OECS Public Education Forum Series Kicks off in the BVI
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States will this week launch a Public Education Forum Series to dialogue with the people of the OECS on key topics impacting the future of the region.
The Series, dubbed Vini Kozé – Kweyol for ‘let’s chat’ – is part of the public education component of the OECS 10th EDF Regional Integration Programme.
The first Public Education Forum will be held on Friday January 13th 2017 at the new Tortola Pier Park in the British Virgin Islands. It will focus on the Education sector under the theme “Creating Tomorrow’s Leaders Today.” The BVI Forum will be led by a panel comprising BVI Education Minister – Hon. Myron Walwyn and CXC Registrar – Glenroy Cumberbatch. The panel will also include a representative of the private sector, a community activist, and a civil society representative. The Forum will involve a ‘live’ audience who will be invited to participate and pose questions to the panel. There will also be key resource persons in the audience who will broaden the scope of the discussion, and answer questions relevant to their area of expertise and experience. OECS Member States have embraced the concept of ‘skills for inclusive growth’ with education as one of the drivers of economic growth, individual empowerment and social cohesion in the region.
Approximately 70 persons from across the OECS, including students and professionals in the education sector are expected to attend and participate in the BVI Forum which will highlight successes in education in the OECS, while creating greater awareness of deficiencies, with a view to formulating strategies and solutions that can be applied across Member States.
OECS Director General, Dr. Didacus Jules hopes the OECS Public Education Series will provide a forum for intelligent and open public dialogue and debate on issues of deep concern to the average citizen. Dr. Jules believes the reinvention of education is fundamental to meeting the development challenges which we face as a region. He said: “Education must assume a broader, more inclusive role in preparing Caribbean people – young or old, student or worker – for success in every arena.”
The OECS 10th EDF Public Education Forum Series (PEFS) will run until March 2017. It will be staged across six (6) OECS Member States including The BVI, Anguilla, Dominica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Martinique. Citizens will be engaged on topics such as Youth, Education, Climate Change, Agriculture, Economic Growth, and Regional Integration. The views, opinions and aspirations of the people will be canvassed in shaping the future of the OECS in relation to these key areas of development.
Vini Koze will be televised across OECS Member States, the wider Caribbean and the Diaspora. The series is funded by the 10th European Development Fund. It is being produced by ELShaFord Productions on behalf of the OECS Commission.
CARICOM/UN Women sign MOU on Gender Equality and Empowerment
Today, 9 January 2017, the Caribbean Community Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UN_Women to support the Community’s work on gender and regional statistics.
The MOU on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women includes collaboration in the provision of Caribbean-wide data, statistics and analysis on the implementation of the gender dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action known as the SAMOA Pathway.
In his remarks, CARICOM Secretary-General Amb. Irwin LaRocque thanked the UN system for its continuing role in assisting Member States’ development and in advancing the work of the Secretariat.
The Secretary-General said that some of the work will focus on developing model legislation and regional-specific tools to address behaviour change to tackle the root causes of Gender-based Violence and to ensure strong evidence-based advocacy.
The UN-Women representative, Tonni Ann Brodber, in her remarks drew attention to the financial and health costs of gender-based violence, one of the most egregious forms of gender inequality, which she said countries could not afford.
Thirty to fifty percent per cent of all murders are intimate partner violence related….. [and] it is not just gender based violence, but the fact that we are not tapping into the potentials of our young boys and young women, she emphasised
Ms. Brodber commended CARICOM for its leadership on the issue and reiterated the support of UN_Women.
The signing took place during the official opening of the Thirty-Ninth meeting of the Community Council of Ministers.
Council of Ministers meets for 39th meeting in Georgetown
Please accept this invitation for your media to provide coverage of:
Event: Official Opening of the Thirty-Ninth Meeting of the Community Council of Ministers.
Venue: CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Guyana
Date: Monday, 9 January , 2017
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Programme:
Welcome: Amb. Irwin LaRocque, Secretary-General, Caribbean Community
Remarks: Hon. Carl Greenidge, Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Guyana
Break:
Presentation of the CARICOM Results Based Management System.
Introduction: Amb. Irwin LaRocque, Secretary-General, Caribbean Community
Presentation: Evan Green, Vice President, Le Groupe – conseil Baastel Itee
Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the CARICOM Secretariat and UN Women.
Media Representatives are requested to be in place at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the Ceremony.
SJPP to launch internship programme
Come month-end, the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic (SJPP) will roll out a new initiative that will replace its existing job attachment programme.
It will be revealed on Thursday, January 26, when the SJPP launches its Internship Programme Inaugural Breakfast Forum in the auditorium of the campus at Wildey, St. Michael.
Under the theme: The Corporate Sector’s Expectations with Respect to New Hires, the forum is being undertaken as an expression of gratitude to corporate partners for their institutional support to the training and development of SJPP’s students.
The event will showcase the institution’s new Modified Internship Programme, which is designed to supplement the technical skills and inculcate soft skills to better prepare students for the workforce.
Deputy Principal of the SJPP, Ian Drakes, will welcome the guests, while Industrial Liaison Officer, Cassandra Earle Hazell, will present an overview of the Modified Internship Programme.
Ms. Earle Hazell has been contracted by the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation as a consultant under the Skills for the Future Program to review and create the new programme.
There will also be a brief presentation to corporate entities on the Unit Certification Programme.
Registration will begin from 7:45 a.m., with the Breakfast Forum expected to commence at 8:00 a.m. Following the event, campus tours will be conducted.
