Basseterre: Friday 27th March 2009

The culmination of the 4 year EU funded project in St. Kitts and Nevis saw some 43 persons receive their International Computer Driver’s License (ICDL) at the OTI in St. Kitts

In the presence of the Minister of Education Honourable Sam Condor, The National Authorising Officer in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Mrs Hilary Hazel, Mr Brian Lashley representing Illuminat ( Barbados) Mr Osmond Petty Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education gave some background to the project and outlined some of the advantages the graduates would experience, as the first of those he predicted who would benefit from forthcoming changes in requirements for entry into the Civil Service.

Mr Petty further indicated that the ICDL will soon become a basic requirement for persons seeking employment in the Civil Service and as the vanguard graduates should encourage their family members and friends to gain the certification.  Mrs Hazel supported Mr Petty’s remarks and charged graduates to build on their skills and to make use of them, not only in their work or studies, but in their homes and communities.

The Honourable Minister for Education Mr Sam Condor remarked that he saw the culmination of the project and the certification of the graduates as a significant step for the development of our human resource in the Federation. He said he was proud to adopt the ICDL as the entry level standard in ICT (Information Communication Technology) in St. Kitts and Nevis and he revealed that a submission from his Ministry would soon be laid before Cabinet seeking leave for the Ministry of Education to endorse the ICDL and making it a mandatory qualification for entry to the Civil Service.

Among the graduates was 13 year old Zahir Harris who became the Federation’s youngest person to hold the certificate.