Promotion of Employment as a Cross Cutting Concern of Social Policies

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Promotion of Employment as a Cross Cutting
Concern of Social Policies

• Livelihood Creation for Women Made Redundant by
  the Closure of the Sugar Industry in St. Kitts
  and Nevis
• Presented by Ian M Liburd

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Background

• 350 year old industry
• Shaped economic and social landscape
• High production costs, decline in contribution to
  GDP and loss of preferential markets over the
  years
• Closed in July 2005

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Life after sugar?

• 1,200 workers made redundant including 330 women
• 81 of women employed in field operation
• Women unskilled and lacked certification
• One year later only 25 of women re-employed

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• Retraining and Retooling
• Persons interested in hospitality, construction,
  vehicle maintenance and agriculture
• Training must reflect workers interests
• Training should be based on market needs
• Necessary to create opportunities for
  self-employment and micro enterprise

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The manufacturing of  school uniforms and
industrial uniforms for the tourism sector

• Assistance from the Caribbean Development Bank
• Target 15 women from St. Pauls
• Participants attended work/study attachment in
  St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Group started own business
• and now provide uniforms for
• governments school uniform
• assistance programme

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Livelihood Creation

• 30 women from sugar belt
• Training in upholstery and tiling
• Not many skilled in upholstery
• Burgeoning construction industry

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Life Skills

• Numeracy and Literacy
• Self Esteem
• Effective Communication
• Parenting Skills
• Relationship Skills
• Good Business Practices

• Entrepreneurship
• Decision making,
• Professionalism
• Marketing
• Ethical Standards
• Budgeting and Record Keeping
• Customer Service

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Positive Feedback

• Things I did not understand I was able to
  understand and now I will be able to do my own
  business
• It was an eye opener for me
• I was doing a lot of things wrong, now I know a
  little better
• I learned that business planning and record
  keeping can tell me what is selling and who is
  buying

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Contributing Factors of Success

• Effective partnership
• Marketing
• Constant motivation
• Built in quality control and additional
  opportunities
• Monitoring and evaluation

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Effective Partnerships

• OAS and CDB for funding
• National Skills Training Programme
• Small Enterprise Development Unit
• Contractors Association
• The Community
• The Media

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Marketing

• Coverage on media
• Exhibitions
• Celebration Party after tiling was finished
• Sale of items at regional football tournament

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Visit by OAS Director
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Quality Control

• Facilitators to offer quality control services
• Apprenticeships
• Additional training

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Monitoring and Evaluation

• Engagement of Project Coordinator
• Department will follow progress of women

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Conclusion

• Number of women exposed to new skills that are
  used to reduce their poverty and improve their
  standard of living
• Women are more empowered and now accept that
  there is life without sugar
• Formation of lasting relationships which they can
  rely on for future advancement.
• Creation of employment (inclusive of
  self-employment)
• Provision of income generating capacity

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Thanks/Gracias

• ANY QUESTIONS?