NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (January 13, 2021) — Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis, Minister of Information Technology, and Minister of Gender Affairs in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) is applauding the Division of Gender Affairs for hosting a free Web Design Training Workshop for men and women on Nevis.
Mr. Brantley described the initiative, launched on January 09, 2021, as timely, noting the importance of web development skills.
“I think that the ability to create content is going to be very important. How we can create content, how we can create something that we put out there that has value? and for me that is very important, especially now in this environment of COVID, in this environment where many have lost jobs, in this environment where jobs are hard to find, because of course our economy was largely oriented towards tourism, which has largely come to a halt as a result of this.
“I think computer skills are critical because you can do so in the comfort of your home, in the privacy of your bedroom, on your own…So in a real way this initiative is timely because it comes at a time when I think that a lot of our people can seek to develop the computer skills necessary to create revenue for themselves, to create opportunities for themselves,” he said.
Mr. Brantley told the participants that the workshop also afforded them the opportunity to create employment.
“You might now be at the launching stage of creating your own job, creating your own small business, and not only that, but being able to offer your services to others who don’t have the capacity and don’t have the ability,” he said.
The Premier said he was heartened to see there was almost an even split between males and females among the 29 participants.
He gave the assurance that the NIA, through the Ministry of Social Development, would try to keep the initiative going past the initial end date.
“I think that we are developing some momentum here and we would want to keep that going forward,” he said.
Ms. Lorraine Archibald, Coordinator of the Gender Affairs Division, noted that the workshop is an important initiative made possible through the Invisible Hand Foundation, facilitator Mr. Rodney Browne and the hardworking staff at the division.
Sessions will run each Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until January 30.
She too underscored the importance of web design in modern business operations, adding that web developers are in high demand around the world.
“For many businesses a website matters more than anything when it comes to reaching out to customers online. In times like these, every business realizes the need for having a website and are putting efforts to design and develop the best site for taking their products or services online…
“Through our hard work and dedication, we continue to empower our people with knowledge and skills… Here on Nevis, we are expected to have many persons trained to be web developers as it is a great career of choice that can make you become rich over time,” she said.
Ms. Archibald commended staff at the division for organizing the workshop, namely Mrs. Catherine Forbes, Training Officer; and Mrs. Shelly Jones Liburd, Senior Gender Officer, for their support in assisting her in ensuring that the boot camp became a reality.
Mr. Browne who is the Chief Executive Officer of eCaribbean Ltd, has over 20 years of experience in the design and digital industry.
Among the topics to be covered during the sessions are – Website analytics with Word Press; Woo Commerce and e-commerce options; Search Engine Optimization; Useful plug-ins and scripts; Online Resources; Gutenberg Blocks; Shopify; and Payment gateway Integration.
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