NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS – The Ministry of Human Resources in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) held its annual orientation seminar on Friday, February 16, for persons who have recently been employed in the public service on Nevis.
Some 30 individuals from various government ministries attended the one-day session, held at the Disaster Management conference room. The event sought to empower new public servants with knowledge regarding the overall job requirements, protocols, rules, regulations, career opportunities, and benefits.
The Honourable Mark Brantley, Minister of Human Resources in the NIA, officially welcomed the individuals to the public service and shared with them some of the expectations of their employer- the government- and also the public whom they serve.
“You must understand that your role is to serve the people of Nevis, and anyone who comes through your door and in whatever Ministry you may be, your role is to serve them.
“We want in Nevis to have the best possible public service. We want through training and through development to ensure that you who are public servants give the very best of yourselves to the public service,” he remarked.
The Premier encouraged the public servants to align themselves with others in the service who display the correct work ethics.
“You are going to come into this service and you are going to see and find workers of different types. You’ll have some who are diligent and hardworking and you’ll have others who are less so. I’m asking you today to emulate those who are diligent and hardworking.
“In the workplace find those you can model your own behavior off of; don’t gravitate to those who are doing the least, who are the least professional. Gravitate to those who can teach you, who can assist you, and who can help bring the best out of you,” he advised.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Human Resources Mr. Kevin Barrett instructed on the public service statutory rules and orders, underscoring the “usefulness and pertinence” of these employer expectations to all public servants. He emphasized that the onus is on the employees to familiarize themselves with these rules and regulations.
The government employees also benefitted from presentations on the Computer Usage Policy, the NIA’s National Insurance Medical Scheme, Social Security and the Employed, and Professional Etiquette and Ethics.