SHTA Vision for St. Maarten

Education

Impacts

• Resident Impact:
  Quality of education is decreasing, large unschooled illegal community, brain drain of students leaving to study abroad and not returning
• Business Impact:
  Mismatch of education and demanded skills, foreign labor/work permit process expensive and lengthy, foreign labor have little local knowledge
• Visitor Impact:
  Quality service is expected, foreign workers have little knowledge of local flavor

Proposed Sollutions

Raising Level

1. Compulsory Education
   The general education level of the island, local and foreign, needs to be improved to prevent a large portion of the population that currently have no education to be able to participate in society.
2. Vocational Training
   A vocational poly-technical/ hospitality training institute is needed as an alternative to going to study abroad. This keeps our students on island, minimizes scholarship costs for government and is an alternative for those who cannot afford to leave, but do not have the skills to enter the
   job market.
3. Certification
   Employee certification aims to increase the skills of employees, promotes upward mobility and improve the overall service level on the island. Gifted employees without formal education are
   then able to demonstrate their skills and take their careers into their own hands.

Matching Skills

1. Incentive Scholarships
   Special incentive scholarships need to be put in place for needed occupations to motivate students to choose an industry that needs them. Regular scholarships for other less needed occupations would be still be offered.
2. Facilitate Work Permits
   For functions where the lack of local skilled employment is established, the work permit
   process should be facilitated to be quick and efficient. This reduces overall cost for businesses and increases the security of the foreign worker.
3. Attract Students Abroad
   A strong effort to establish contact with students studying abroad and offering incentives
   for them to return will go a long way towards more local employment. These students are skilled, often experienced and easily integrated into our society.

Quality of Life

1. Stricter Immigration
   Limiting the number of illegal residents and children on the island will ensure that the
   social benefi ts are available to everyone. Exit controls, and an immigration information
   system is needed to enforce stricter immigration policies.
2. Stronger Family Units
   Parents who are able to spend time with their kids to learn from each other, will have kids
   who are brighter and better prepared for society. The result is better careers and lower drop out rates. This is possible when parents are learning more and don’t have to work two jobs to make ends meet.
3. After School Activities
   Idle hands make mischief, therefore the opportunity for supervised activities for children whose parents have to work will also give them the opportunities to learn, be challenged and enjoy new learning experiences outside the classroom.