World Needs Persons with Skills and Certification – Minister Kellier

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier, has emphasized that, “the global village in which we live, requires persons with skills and certification,” to undertake projects that will result in sustained development.

“Without that in today’s world, you will be lost, because times have changed and things are moving at a rapid rate,” the Minister said.

He was addressing the 10^th anniversary awards ceremony of the Community Training for Empowerment Programme (CTEP), held at the Wexford Court Hotel in Montego Bay, on February 23.

The Minister, who was instrumental in getting the programme started, lauded the partnership which CTEP has  established with the HEART Trust/National Training Agency (NTA).

“The programme exists in a new age in which standards do matter and that is why I am very pleased at the partnership which we have forged with the HEART Trust/NTA. To build this kind of organization at the community level is not easy.  We are taking the training to the people in the communities, to make it easier for them to enter, because we believe that access is most important,” Mr. Kellier argued.

He said  the programme could not have been successful without the networking, the support and the strong partnerships forged with persons and organizations, both private and public, over the ten years.

“What we are about is creating the synergies between private and public sectors, so we can get everyone in the country to work together for a common good and a common cause.  Those of you entering the world of work must remember the importance of giving of your best, if you want to build this country and help to develop the growth agenda, so that we can come out of the clutches of the International Monetary Fund (IMF),” Mr. Kellier told the participants.