Fifty-four young Saint Lucians have graduated from the Specialized Programs and Opportunities Relating to Technical Skills (SPORTS) Project administered by the National Skills Development Centre (NSDC) and sponsored by the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
The SPORTS Project is a joint collaboration between the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) in Saint Lucia and the NSDC, and forms part of the bilateral programme on “Youth & Women Economic Empowerment”.
The SPORTS initiative is a holistic skills training project that targets persons between 16 and 35 years old from all districts across Saint Lucia. During their six-month training, participants benefited from a series of courses, including Career Counseling, Literacy and Numeric Assessments and Behavioural Interviews, Remedial Literacy, Gender Awareness Training, First Aid Training, ICT Training, Life Skills Training, Technical Vocational Training in several service industry areas, Business Entrepreneurship Training, Job Attachment, and Job Placement Services.
The 54 beneficiaries are mainly youth at risk, underemployed, and unemployed with a background or interest in sports, leading to CVQ Level 1 and/or Level 2 certifications in Electrical Installation, Computer Repairs, Nail Design, and other areas at NSDC based on their choices.
Funding for the training was provided by the Taiwan Technical Mission in Saint Lucia, and supported by the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports through the Government of Saint Lucia, and executed by NSDC.
On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, a graduation ceremony was held in the conference room of NSDC’s Bisee location to recognize the 54 male and female participants for their remarkable achievement in not only completing the training, but also performing admirably. They each received a certificate of completion of the project.
H.E. Nicole Su, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, thanked Kenson Casimir, Minister for Youth Development and Sports, Shawn Edward, Minister for Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, and the management of the National Skills Development for the meaningful partnership they provided on the project.
“Taiwan and Saint Lucia share an enduring friendship built on mutual respect, shared values, and a commitment to inclusive development,” she said. “Through our bilateral projects, we aim not only to support economic growth, but also to invest in people, especially the youth. It says so much about how the Government of Saint Lucia values the development of young people with a background or interest in sports. We are impressed by your efforts because it resonates with our own journey in Taiwan, too.”
Ambassador Su underscored the importance of the project to provide and equip young athletes with opportunities to explore their other talents if they plan to change their career paths or when they retire from athletic life.
The Minister for Youth Development and Sports thanked the Government of Taiwan for their support in making the project possible. He also addressed the graduates, telling them that the Government of Saint Lucia will continue to encourage young people to convert their talents into entrepreneurship. He said young entrepreneurs can benefit from loans and grants from agencies such as the MSME Loan-Grant Facility and Youth Economy Agency (YEA). He also implored them to be prepared to fill the gaps in the technical skills sector.
“Speak to anybody involved in the construction sector and they will tell you that the number one need in Saint Lucia in terms of employment is skills: electricians, computer scientists, and so on,” said Hon. Casimir. “There are so many women who have taken up their space in Saint Lucia right now that we continue to have a high demand for nail technicians.”
In her remarks, Dr. Selma St. Prix, General Manager for NSDC, congratulated the graduates for their work in completing and achieving essential skills and certification that can help them gain entry into the workforce or toward entrepreneurial endeavours. She said the NSDC remains committed to collaborating with partners on initiatives that redound to youth development.
Feature speaker, Mr. Clivus Jules, Youth and Sports Officer from the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports, delivered a riveting message to the graduates, urging them to always strive for excellence even when the odds are great.
“You are an inspiration. You have taken ownership of your future. This is not an end, but a beginning. You’ve proven that with the right support system, the right guidance and determination, success is not just possible, but inevitable,” Jules told the graduates.