NETHERLANDS COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM TRAINING INSTITUTE St. Maarten - The Daily Herald | St. Maarten-St. Martin | West Indies - Caribbean News

BELAIR--It was a lengthy and grand evening of budding talent and pride as young people and adults were given their certificates for successfully completing thecomputer and leadership training programme at Windward Islands Federation of Labour’s (WIFOL’s) training arm - Caribbean Institute For Social Education Foundation (CIFSEF) Saturday night.

During the marathon ceremony, which ended around midnight, graduates were commended for their perseverance and urged to continue their studies as future leaders of St. Maarten.

But while it was a night to celebrate academic achievement, the young talented entertainers, most of them graduates themselves, stole the show with their emotional display of talent through song and dance.

The programme began with a young budding pianist, playing the instrument to guide a group of youth singing the St. Maarten Song and ended with an emotional interpretative dance by three youngsters, which drew roars of applause from the capacity crowd.

Not all of the 129 young people and adults who completed the programmes attended the event, but the Belair Community Centre was packed to capacity. Attendees included Commissioner responsible for Youth Affairs Louie Laveist, business persons, trade unionists and Public Service International (PSI) Titular Member Patricia Pantophlet.

WIFOL President Theophilus Thompson said 59 of the 110 young people who enrolled in CIFSEF computer training programme completed it; and 69 of the 98 adults completed the adult leadership training programme.

The programmes were fuelled largely through the financial support of the St. Maarten Timeshare Association, whose president Jules James was on hand to give encouraging words to the graduates. “We are living in an ever-changing world and we need to be prepared for opportunities that come knocking on our doors,” James told the graduates.

“Don’t be satisfied with where you are. You need to look at yourselves and tell yourself that you can do it. Success is not a destination. It’s a journey of a million miles that begins with the first step. And this is your first step.”

James said the Timeshare Association was pleased to partner with CIFSEF in the name of education.

Laveist, who assisted with the certificate presentation, said WIFOL is leading by example with its programmes. He said as St. Maarten is moving into a new constitutional status, the assistance of organisations like WIFOL, in preparing workers for the labour force, would be needed. “WIFOL has taken unionism to a higher level... Unions used to be only about labour issues but they have now joined the process of nation building.”

He said the union did not throw in the towel when all its computers, used for training, were stolen a few months ago, but instead persevered and acquired donations of new computers to continue the programme.

Windward Islands Chamber of Labour Unions (WICLU) President Claire Elshot underscored the role the union is playing in moulding the future leaders of the island.

She said with hurdles being encountered by other regional trade union bodies, the formation of the CIFSEF had been timely, to train not only local but regional workers. “The completion of thecomputer programmes is the beginning of a new era for the youth,” she told the graduates, some of whom were as young as five years old. “You are the political leaders, teachers and union leaders of the future.”

Thompson said the graduates all made a “special sacrifice” to complete the programme noting that CIFSEF had a vision to pass on new skills to workers and youth. “And this is not the end,” he said. “Our programmes will continue.”

He said the union had graduated from representing workers in labour disputes to moulding them to see their jobs as a profession and to move up the ladder in their trade. He said too that the programme is producing results.

Division Head of University of the Caribbean (UWI) School of Continuing Studies, Trade Union Education Institute Marva Phillips delivered the keynote address. She spoke mostly of regional labour issues. (by Judy Fitzpatrick)