PM: "Let us look at the jobs which are being filled by expatriates and see where the gaps lie, both in education and training, in preventing St. Maarteners from getting those jobs."
During a discussion on her weekly radio program One on One with the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams stated that Government is engaged in various initiatives to ensure that the number of persons depending on welfare is decreased and that those who are capable of doing so are being funneled into the job market.
The Prime Minister also discussed training and education and ensuring that St. Maarteners are given preference in the job market.
"Clearly it is the aim of Government to ensure as much as possible that the persons who are receiving welfare and who are able to work to get them under active employment. On one hand you have the businesses that are saying that they need to bring in foreign labor because there is a lack of labor here on St. Maarten, while on the other hand others are saying that they cannot find the jobs that they need. We are addressing both issues as Government but in order to properly do so we need to research what specifically the problem areas are. On the one hand we are researching who the persons are that are looking for specific jobs and on the other hand what or who does the business community need so that we can effectively ensure sustainable employment growth for this country," stressed the PM.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of training for the job force in order to make those seeking a job more qualified for specific areas; "Training is an important part of the solution and we need to work on a specific plan amongst all of the stakeholders in the private and public sectors. Let us look at the jobs that are being filled by expatriates and see where the gaps lie, both in education and training, in preventing St. Maarteners from getting those jobs. We are also working on offering a system where people can receive assistance while working towards getting them in the workforce," concluded the Prime Minister.