GREAT BAY:--- Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius De Weever along with the Minister of Education Culture Youth & Sports and the Prime Minister have collaborated to establish the Raad Onderwijs & Arbeidsmarkt (ROA) as a means of bridging the gap between education and the labor market.
"This is a great accomplishment not only for the ministries involved, but mainly for the people of St. Maarten. The fact that we have an established institute for advanced secondary vocational education, we can now look at the needs of the labor market and ensure that these needs are covered at the institute, which will enable our young people to secure a space in the job market," said Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius De Weever.
The tasks of the ROA is to advise the Ministry of Education, and where needed the Ministry of Public Health Social Development & Labor, and the Ministry of General Affairs on all important aspects pertaining to education and the labor market. Some of the areas are as follows: The connection between education and the labor market; how to stimulate labor organizations to contribute to job training opportunities; the future policies of the Minister of Education or any other Minister regarding education in combination with the labor market.
Minister De Weever further stated that he would like to thank Minister of Education Culture Youth & Sports, Patricia Lourens for the assistance granted in bringing this project to fruition.
In addition, the ROA will have a tri-partite composition comprising of three members of the employers organizations; three members of employee organizations and three members (policy advisors) from respectively the Ministry of Labor, Education and Economic Affairs. These members will be appointed for a period of three years.
Due to the establishment of the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA), which focuses on the advancement of secondary vocational education it was necessary to have the ROA established.
