Senator Arni Walters (left) presented the Long Service Award to Michael McClean (Overseas
Employment Programme) at the Fourth Annual GIVE awards at the Hilton Barbados.
Giving back – Public service workers
rewarded for excellence
2/22/2010
By Tanya Lightbourne
“You are indeed good Barbadian role models for your peers”.
This is what Minister of State with responsibility for Employment, Labour Relations and the Social Partnership, Senator Arni Walters, told those public service workers who were being honoured during the Fourth Annual GIVE Awards Ceremony, which was held on Saturday night at the Hilton Barbados.
Under the theme “Aspire! Transform! Achieve!”, GIVE – which stands for Great attitudes, Initiative, Values and Excellence – recognises public officers as well as workers in the Ministry of Labour’s External Employment Programme who have given excellent service over the years.
Making special reference to the latter programme, Senator Walters noted that since its conceptualisation some 40-plus years ago to create opportunities for Barbadians to work in the United States and Canada in agricultural undertakings, the hospitality industry and the low-skilled occupations programme, these persons have come in for high praise.
“Year after year, the overseas employers have commended most of these workers for their excellent work and positive attitudes. It is the Ministry’s belief that this category of worker should also be recognised and rewarded,” he said.
Placing more emphasison improving attitudes and higher standards of behaviour in the public sector, the Senator highlighted the need to seek to develop a more customer-focused, professional and productive employee, who is not only innovative, reliable and efficient, but provide excellent service to their internal and external customers.
“Visitors to Barbados must always experience the values of GIVE and NISE whether at the Airport, Seaport, in their transactions in the Hospitality Industry, the Retail Sector or within the Public Sector.”
“In this increasingly globally competitive environment, economic development and enhanced productivity levels cannot only be characteristics of the private sector. The public sector too, must play a role in the social and economic growth of this nation,” stressed Senator Walters.
Revealing the new GIVE initiatives, Senator Walters added that the Ministry of labour has embarked on a number of events in an effort to achieve its objectives. He said, “One such activity is a public awareness programme where Public Sector employees and students are exposed to the GIVE principles before and after their entry into the workforce. So far we have randomly selected and visited thirty schools and as a result of a follow-up programme, awarded students and public officers who have exemplified these qualities. It is intended that additional schools and public sector agencies be targeted.”
Recognising that some larger Ministries, for example the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Agriculture to name a few, have not fully participated in the GIVE nomination process. Senator Walters strongly believes that the GIVE programme must be seen as a National Public Sector programme.
“I also would like to take this opportunity to encourage all Permanent Secretaries to get involved in the GIVE and NISE programmes, whether it is releasing officers to attend the workshops or nominating officers to be awarded.”
On the night 37 workers were awarded for a job well done, as special awards went to Franklin Hurley, a Porter in the Ministry of Health – St. Lucy District Hospital from NISE and the Office of Public Sector Reform for his excellent work ethics and kind heart in dealing with his duties.
