Published 13 February 2019
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
Oscar Astro Browne, Senior Field Officer for STEP in Nevis (right) and Wendell Wattley, Director of STEP (left) |
“…on the STEP Programme, we seek to personally develop our people. We are not just seeking to develop their physical and technical skills. We also seek to develop their minds, their attitudes, their cultures, in which they are expected to perform,” said Oscar Astro Browne, Senior Field Officer for STEP in Nevis, while appearing on the Government’s weekly radio and television programme “Working for You” on Wednesday, February 13.He added that maintaining the proper dress code is also important because STEP is a training programme that prepares individuals for future employment. He noted that people showing up for work late, inappropriately dressed, and leaving when they feel like are unacceptable.
“That’s indiscipline, and that is a reflection to me from the STEP Programme, if we allow that sort of culture to cultivate into a chronic problem whereby we can’t control it. So, we seek to develop it from the first level,” said Mr. Browne, while encouraging interns to dress properly; be punctual for work; leave work at the designated time and keep their work areas clean.
Wendell Wattley, Director of STEP, said that in addition to discipline the matter of occupational health and safety must be taken seriously.
“We can’t allow persons to come to work dressed inappropriately because persons can get hurt on the job. If they are not wearing their correct safety gear, clothing and equipment, that has serious implications with respect to Social Security and the Labour Department, and so we have to ensure that they have the proper protective wear and gear,” said the director.
STEP is a National Skills Training Programme (NSTP) initiative which will contribute to national, social and economic transformation, by the establishment of various projects that primarily will provide employment opportunities for qualifying nationals of St. Kitts and Nevis. It seeks to empower programme participants by providing training to assist in the development of the requisite human resource capabilities and entrepreneurial skills which will facilitate participants’ smooth integration into the workforce.
