I N S I G H T DECEMBER 2013
LEADING THE SINGLE-MOTHER EMPLOYMENT PROJECT
IN THIS ISSUE Page 2 • Community - Helping young karting drivers
Page 3 • Continued support to marine park protection
Page 4 • People
Page 5 • New Year Celebrations
Page 6 • Guests - Michael Gregorio en toute liberté
Page 7 • Guests - Bart, the Indian Ocean Ambassador
Page 8 • Hosting Top Ten Awards for South African partners
Page 9 • News from the Group
Page 10 • Green Corner
Page 11 • History & Airline News
Page 12 • Press Review
A pilot project to facilitate access to single mothers for employment in the tourism industry has been signed between the Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development (MLHRD) and Sainte Anne Resort in November last year. The Principal Secretary of the MLHRD, Veronique Bresson and Norbert Couvreur, General Manager of the resort sealed the agreement. Also attending this ceremony were Anne Lafortune, Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and Sherin Naiken, Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Tourism Board. This pilot project which is the first of its kind to be implemented, will be led by Sainte Anne Resort and will see the hotel accommodate a regular batch of unemployed single mothers in its workforce. On that occasion, Veronique Bresson stressed on the necessity for members of the first group of single mothers to seize this unique opportunity and to persevere in their quest for stable employment. She expressed her high hopes in this pilot project and stated that this programme is but the first one among many others to come. Norbert Couvreur was very happy that the MLHRD had chosen Sainte Anne Resort to lead and implement the project. 'This industry is the main source of job creation in the country and it was most appropriate for Sainte Anne Resort to support this project. Single mothers face many financial obstacles to be able to gain economic independence. It is therefore indispensable to provide help to improve their capacity to work and for reducing their childraising burdens. This pilot-project is precisely trying to help single mothers who are struggling to make a living and raise their kids. We, at Sainte Anne Resort, are very happy and honoured to participate in yet another project that empowers our community members.’ The programme called the ‘Employment Programme For Single Mothers At Hotels', has been formulated to
help single mothers find employment in the hotel industry, an area where there is an acute shortage of manpower. Generally, single mothers are not attracted to work in hotels because most jobs require shift work which makes it difficult for them to afford and organise child minding during working hours, mainly with afternoon and night shifts. Furthermore most of these single mothers face the difficulty to find employment in the tourism industry due to their lack of experience and skills. Consequently some of these single mothers also face the inability of maintaining jobs and thus developing skills and gaining work experience for the same reasons. The aim of this programme is therefore to empower these women while also addressing the lack of manpower in the tourism industry, a key sector of our economy. The programme is the fruit of some important ground work performed by a team comprising of: Ivans Nolin, Director Special Employment Programme at the MLHRD, Selma Magnan, Manager at the Seychelles Tourism Board, Nichol Thelermont and Bernadette Stravens, respectively Human Resources Manager and Training at Sainte Anne Resort. According to the agreement, the MLHRD will identify and recommend potential candidates for employment among single mothers. The resort will then proceed with the recruitment formalities before offering jobs to the candidates under special working conditions which are appropriate in such cases. Sandra Halpe from the MLHRD has also been appointed liaison officer to monitor the progress of the project and to regularly evaluate the results. 2013 will undoubtedly be remembered as a year of progress and achievement for the transfer service on sea and on land for greater comfort, reliability and safety of our guests and employees.
THE NEW BOATS
The new trainees with Bernadette Stravens (front row far left) and Sandra Halpe (front row far right)
Kerisha Bibi
Norbert Couvreur
I must thank the Minister of Labour and Sainte Anne Resort for putting up such a laudable project. I welcome this working arrangement as it facilitates my life a lot. I can now work to earn my living and at the same time I can have ample time to look after my kids. This a real positive change in my life. I had formerly worked in the Police Department and it is my first experience in the hospitality industry. I have the opportunity to receive training as a cook at Sainte Anne Resort and I really appreciate the attitude of all my colleagues. They make me feel at ease and above all I am learning a new job in the kitchen. I cannot believe that I have some free time now for my family and I can even go to church on Sunday, something that I could not do before.
The agreement that we have signed with the MLHRD is a landmark in the history of the recruitment process in Seychelles. We are so proud and honoured to be the first institution in the hospitality industry to show the way and set the pace for future actions. The employability of single mothers is a serious social issue and every attention must be given to it. I am glad that the meetings to prepare this MOU have given the positive results we were all expecting and I must praise the efforts of the officials from the MLHRD, the STB and the team members for this remarkable work. We are now in a position to offer employment to groups of 10 single mothers at a time under special conditions that will facilitate their daily lives. This is our humble contribution to better the lives of members of our community.