40 Public Officers Graduate from Clerical Programme

Today, a virtual certificate ceremony was held for the first of a 2020 cohort of public officers who completed a professional development training. It’s been over a decade that public officers have not been allowed to train, but these forty public officers are now eligible for promotion. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

It’s been over a decade since professional development training has been undertaken by the government for those in public. But today, forty public officers were awarded their certificates of completion for having successfully participated in an eight-week virtual course headed by the Ministry of Public Service. The public officers are now armed with the skills and knowledge of their respective departments and the government system – a requirement for the promotional programme.

Henry Charles-Usher

Henry Charles-Usher, Minister of Public Service

“The clerical programme first came into effect in 1982 under the general orders for public service; back then, the public service was known as establishment. This examination was designed to primarily test the officers’ power of expression, general knowledge of the country and its system of government.”

Second class clerk Cordelia Belezaire from the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation topped the virtual clerical training. While it is the first group in quite some time, Belezaire shared that while the public system is filled with challenges, it is the duty of public officers to implement government policies and stop corruption. 

Cordelia Belezaire

Cordelia Belezaire, Valedictorian

“It is filled with many hard challenges, limited opportunities and little to no rewards. It is a system that moves very slowly and in incremental fashion. It is a system where bad behaviours often go unpunished and good behaviours are frequently shrugged off. How can I motivate officers who like myself often feel as though they have been intentionally victimized? Officers with varying high academic qualification who are frequently rejected or excluded for consideration for promotion because they have not yet completed the programme? Officers who have been told you don’t meet requirement for promotion despite already performing the duties? Officers who have been exposed to many administrative malpractices without any glimmer of hope? Our effectiveness determines whether our government succeeds and whether it meets its obligation to the public. No government would be able to do its job without public officers. The government depends on us to implement its policies for situations that have myriad causes.”

The Public Service Union believes that the programme creates opportunities for public officers to develop into future public service leaders. 

Dean Flowers

Dean Flowers, Vice President, Public Service Union

“When the public service functions the way it should, we all win. It is therefore my commitment to you today to ensure that the public service union continues to play an active and participatory role in ensuring that public officers are afforded relevant and timely development programmes and training to aid in their professional growth thus fostering and preparing them to transition into highly qualified and trained career public officers.”

Duane Moody for News Five.