Supervisors advance with Management Programme
Basseterre, St. Kitts (SKNIS): Fifteen persons from across various ministries in St. Kitts and Nevis, recently graduated from a four month Advanced Supervisory Management Programme.
Astona Browne, Permanent Secretary within the Prime Minister’s Office, congratulated the graduates for successfully completing the course and pointed out how prepared they were.
“The architects of this course of training were very cognizant of the role of supervision in the management process and hence the overall aim of implementing the provision of this management course,” she stated.
She mentioned that the course had three main objectives and these included: the exposure of participants to the importance of matching the talents of the workers to the organization’s goal and objectives; the development of awareness to managing human capital as an investment and not a cost. The course would also facilitate a positive philosophical perspective of people as human capital, with a critical role to play in creating sustainability and competitiveness for their organization.
Darriene Viera, one of the participants who is attached to the General Post Office, gave some insight as to how the course impacted his thinking as a supervisor.
“The course taught me how to deal with conflict sometimes faced in the workplace,” he said. “Sometimes, the professor was surprised that we had to deal with such disagreement and offered his best solution.”
He said that the course outline was intense and it asked a lot of the participants.
Comptroller of Inland Revenue, Edward Gift, also gave his take on the course.
“The course was quite timely and insightful in ensuring that it adds those cadres of skills to the officers,” he stressed. “It also did a great job of providing opportunities for sharing experiences.
Dr. Tracey Challenger in the Ministry of Agriculture said the course was very interesting.
“I was particularly interested in the subject,” she stated. “I learnt a lot and I really appreciate being one of the participants, because it helped me to deal with a great deal of conflict.”
She further mentioned that since completing the course, she was able to put what was taught into practice.
Chief Personnel Officer in the Human Resource Department, Torfrida Rochester, encouraged the graduates to form a committee of Directors and Supervisors, as it would provide a forum that they need for the continued collaboration, dialogue and for them to realize that they are not alone with whatever struggle is faced in the office.
“This would be very useful,” she said. “The coming together as heads and the brainstorming will provide an opportunity for you to support each other, while finding solutions to the common problems that you experience in your workplace.”
The Advanced Supervisor Management Programme will continue in March of this year, with its second batch of supervisors.