The Cabinet has given the “green light” for the launch of a special skills training
programme at the Harrison Centre/Antigua and Barbuda Institute for Continuing
Education (ABICE) to address the shortage of skilled labour in the country.
Several senior government sources say the shortage of skilled labour is a real issue
with which it has to contend, and the training being offered at ABICE in skills such
as carpentry and masonry is one way to address the shortage.
Some two hundred young people are now being invited to apply for the training
which is expected to last for an estimated 16 weeks. “Those who are interested will
only be required to pay a nominal fee of $20.00 for the training. During the period
of training, the trainees will receive a small stipend,” according to one government
spokesman.
The spokesman said the skills shortage is so severe that if the government does not
act immediately to upskill its people, this could have a negative impact on planned
developments in the New Year, when several hotel projects are on the drawing
books to start, as well as the expansion of the University of the West Indies Five
Islands Campus.
“We have run out of skilled labour; we need carpenters, masons as well as those
skilled in the areas of electrical and plumbing. We are prepared to pay the stipend
to train them to meet our needs. As it stands now, we have several luxury
properties to come on stream. There is a luxury property to be announced soon for
Barbuda and a group out of the United Arab Emirates to develop the former Half
Moon Bay property, but we don’t have any labour and that’s a problem. This is in
addition to the 200-million dollar expansion of the UWI FIC,” Prime Minister
Gaston Browne stated.
Against this background, he said the decision is to train as many people as
possible, as soon as possible, to help meet the skilled labour requirements.
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