Twenty-five (25) public officers were the recipient of well-needed induction sessions which took place on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 and Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at the Teachers’ Resource Centre. The sessions, which were organized by Public Administration, were held to familiarize the public officers with the Anguilla Public Service: its operations, policies and procedures, and to highlight some of the guidelines and processes of the different systems of which public officers form a vital part.
Unlike previous years, this year the officers were drawn from various departments – of the Anguilla Public Service – including Education, Customs, Immigration and Probation. The aim was to ensure that as many new officers, as possible, were given the opportunity to share in and benefit from this very important ‘information sharing exercise’.
This year there were also brief presentations from Ms Michelle Queeley, President of the Anguilla Teachers’ Union (ATU), and Ms Susan Hodge, President of Anguilla Civil Service Union (ACSA). Participants were urged to be a part of the associations and gain the benefits that members usually derive from these organizations.
Other presentations included topics such as Understanding Government and the Role of the Anguilla Public Service, Who is Who in the Service, Expectations of Teachers, Communicating with Stakeholders, Compensation and Benefits, Dignity, Worth and Human Rights, Pensions, Recruitment, Training and Professionalism in the Workplace.
The participants were encouraged to share the information with their colleagues as a means of giving them a clearer understanding of the operations of the Anguilla Public Service, and helping to debunk some of the misconceptions concerning employment in the Anguilla Public Service.
The facilitators for the sessions were: Mr Stanley Reid – Honourable Deputy Governor; Mrs Kathleen Rogers – Permanent Secretary, Public Administration; Mrs Lana Horsford-Harrigan – Director, Human Resource Management; Mrs Ornette Edwards-Gumbs and Mrs C Charmaine Rogers, Deputy Directors, Human Resource Management; Mrs Angelina Carty; Mrs Oronica Hughes – Training Officer; and Mrs Charissa-Ann Busby, Administrator, Public Service Pension Fund.
– Contributed