PM Douglas Interacts With Youths On PEP Hospitality Programme

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, JULY 22ND 2013 (CUOPM) – The governing St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party cares about young people.

Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas told several youths attached to the People Empowerment Programme (PEP) that because the economy of St. Kitts and Nevis is changing there is a need to provide the opportunities and skills.

“It means that different job opportunities will arise and the more you are equipped to deal with different job situations, the easier it would be for you to find jobs and thus look after yourselves and your families,” Dr. Douglas said.

The PEP youths, who are attached to the hospitality programme at the Frigate Bay Resort, were on a tour of historical sites in downtown Basseterre and were passing Government Headquarters having already visited the Museum, The Berkley Memorial and the St. George’s Anglican Church.

“I want you to know that the PEP is a skills acquisition, skills learning Initiative. It is going to be with us for a very long time, until each of you learn a particular skill and would have then found gainful employment in the area of your skill set. The point I want to make is that you must make the best use of this opportunity,” said Dr. Douglas.

“There are basic things that you will learn, like how to dress properly, how to smile, how to communicate and how to interact with people,” said Prime Minister Douglas.

“This is a government that cares about young people. This government cares about young people and it is because we care about young people and we know that a lot of our young people need some of these skills -tools in order to upgrade themselves and market themselves and using these skills to gain prime jobs; that’s why the government is providing opportunities through the PEP,” Dr. Douglas told the PEP youths.

He informed them that the PEP has become the most popular initiative in the Caribbean region, pointing out that recently it was in the news that as far as Germany, “they are now doing something similar to what we are doing here in St. Kitts and Nevis with the PEP.”

“The German Government just a few weeks ago was saying to the rest of the European countries that they want another 480, 000 young people to train so that they can acquire skills to help develop their country Germany and the rest of Europe,” said Dr. Douglas, who used the opportunity to express thanks to the organisers and facilitators of the PEP programme.

Kyana Pinney, a very vibrant young lady, who was one of the most excited PEP attendees, thanked Prime Minister Douglas for taking time out of his busy schedule to spend some time with them explaining the positives about the PEP programme.