SMTF to resume its classes on Monday.
CAY HILL--The St. Maarten Training Foundation (SMTF) will be resuming classes on a scaled down basis as of Monday, June 15.
The foundation said it has received approval from government to resume classes. However, the programme will resume in a slimmed-down version based on the new COVID-19 protocols for large groups. The management of SMTF had submitted its own “SMTF COVID-19 Safety and Prevention Plan” to government in which its measures have been laid out for the safe and successful resumption of its operations.
All students will start their classes with a training session on the basics of COVID-19 and the measures taken to keep them safe and prevent the spread of the virus. The following are among the measures taken: fully sanitised and treated air-conditioning units, class sizes have been reduced to meet social-distancing requirements, hand-sanitising stations have been installed, wearing a face mask on school premises has become mandatory and one-way walking routes have been marked.
“Not all groups will start on Monday, we have given preference to the students who were supposed to graduate in April as they only have a couple of weeks left in the programme,” explained Programme Director Sergio Wolff. The other groups will restart the programme in two to three weeks’ time.”
Since the lockdown in mid-March, SMTF said it has been inundated with calls from unemployed persons wanting to get into the Emergency Income Support and Training Programme (EISTP).
“With very few tourists on the island and hotel properties virtually shuttered, many workers are looking for ways to improve their skills and make themselves more marketable when the economic engine of the island (the hospitality sector) comes off of life support,” it was stated in a press release.
SMTF runs EISTP, which is financed by the government of the Netherlands, managed by the World Bank and implemented by the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB). The programme is made possible by the devolution of monies from the Trust Fund and caters to persons who are unemployed or underemployed (working part-time, less than 20 hours per week).
All enrolled students receive financial support (stipend) for attending classes and successfully completing the programme as well as medical coverage through Social and Health Insurances SZV, in addition to a small transportation allowance. The un-(under) employed enrol in Hospitality, Culinary, Construction, St. Maarten Culture and History (which is an integral part of hospitality and culinary), English as Second Language and Basic Literacy courses.
SMTF partners with different entities such as the University of St. Martin (USM) and National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA) on some of the courses. The goal of the programme is to provide (temporary) income support to the unemployed and underemployed while equipping them with the tools necessary to achieve full gainful employment.
Persons wishing to participate in the programme must register at the Labour Department. Criteria such as legal status in St. Maarten, level of (un)employment and residency are used to determine eligibility. Once eligibility has been established by the Labour Department, the applicant is referred to SMTF to complete the enrolment process. Interested persons can contact the Labour Department for more information or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
SMTF is located at the Hillside Christian Schools’ Asha Stevens Campus in Cay Hill.
