Above: St Lucia

By the Caribbean Journal staff

St Lucia’s government is looking to boost employment in the cruise sector.

The country is financing a new Cruise Sector Employment Programme, which aims to train more than 200 young people in St Lucia and provide them with low-interest loans to facilitate their employment.

The government is funding the programme with a recently-approved loan of EC $3 million from the National Insurance Corporation.

“The previous program so far has gone exceedingly well,” Anthony said. “A little over 200 Saint Lucians obtained employment on cruise ships and I think all indicators are that the numbers will grow.”

The Prime Minister said training institutions would need a “recognizable track record” for students to receive funds under the programme.

“At this time when jobs are badly needed, when the government sees that it must live up to its responsibility to provide jobs for the young people—especially those who are not in a position to obtain loans for themselves without the intervention of the government, the government has stepped forward and ensured that this program will enable people to do so,” said Tourism Minister Lorne Theophilus. “We have realized that within the cruise sector there is a wide scope for the employment of large numbers of people.”