VIslanders' minds not conditioned for certain jobs – Hon. Walwyn
“Our people, Madam Speaker, their minds have not been conditioned to do certain jobs, and we must change that…” Hon. Walwyn said. “And because our minds are not conditioned to do certain jobs,” the Hon. Minister continued, “we bring people into the Territory to do those jobs.”
Hon. Walwyn made those comments during the budget debate today, December 18, 2012 during the Fifth Sitting of the Second Session of the Second House of Assembly.
According to Hon. Walwyn, Virgin Islanders have had this misconception for years in the country, and it was one that he felt has done lots of damages to the economy and to the jobs market in particular.
“We give the impression, Madam Speaker, unintentionally I’m sure, that if you do not wear a neck-tie to work and long sleeved shirt… that you are not successful,” Hon. Walwyn expressed. He expressed that must done to eradicate this thought from the minds of persons.
He felt that this created a problem in the country that extended into the tourism sector as well. “If you go around and you check tourism related businesses, our people are the minority in those businesses,” the Minister proposed.
Some of these positions, he added, are very lucrative ones. “...high paying jobs and our people are losing out on those jobs because of this misconception that we have allowed to creep into the Virgin Islands over the past years.”
He also noted that his Ministry would be taking on a very aggressive marketing campaign to dispel those thoughts as preparations are being made for the technical school to come online very soon.
It was for this misconception, the Minister explained, that field trips is a very important component in the tourism curriculum in the secondary schools; he revealed that he told teachers to “take the students out, take them to hotels, take the students to various tourism sites so that they can see tourism in action and they can start to make career choices to get into the field of tourism.”
A recent press release from the Ministry of Education disclosed that the Technical school would be the beneficiary of 30 computers and two network printers as part of an assortment of renovation and remedial works being done on schools in the Territory in preparation for the upcoming school term.
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21 Responses to “VIslanders' minds not conditioned for certain jobs – Hon. Walwyn ”
well said
Compulsory!
If our children can't swim, they can't sail and if they can't sail they can't be part of our largest tourist income earner.
Even if parents are afraid of water, teach a generation of people to be comfortable with the ocean around us and doors will open to closer involvement with the industry we sell to the world.
And our children will value the ocean environment that much more, so it might help us protect it, instead of destroying it for all kinds of short-term money reasons.
you just prove the man point a$$wipe. if the mentality changes there would be much more locals in these positions. that's exactly what the man is saying.
It's not mental slavery....furthermore plenty of bloody jobs out there....stop being lazy