Nearly 1500 engaged under NEP

Minister of Employment Ian Douglas addresses a gathering at the Dominica Labour Party’s Town Hall meeting
Minister of Employment Ian Douglas addresses a gathering at the Dominica Labour Party’s Town Hall meeting

Minister for Employment, Ian Douglas has announced a significant expansion of the National Employment Programme (NEP) with engagements secured for 1, 499 persons.

“A programme that was initially designed to engage about 400 to 500 people has 1499 people employed as we speak, and some of them in various areas,” according to Minister of Employment Ian Douglas.

Speaking at a Dominica Labour Party town hall meeting in Trafalgar, Douglas added, “Some of them have been placed in various jobs where they can learn a skill and they can become marketable. So the on-the-job aspect of the NEP is actually equipping them with a skill so that they can be permanently and sustainably employed.”

Persons with degrees and qualifications were placed in graduate internships.

Douglas said Government has allocated $5M for the programme.

Minister Douglas said Government intends to expand the NEP by engaging 30 new graduates even as they continue to engage interns from around Dominica.

Meanwhile, the community employment component of the NEP is also being continued, Douglas said. This component includes a beautification and clean-up programme which the Minister described as a great source of pride.

“They have been doing a wonderful job,” he added.

The NEP was introduced in December 2013 to provide employment opportunities for the unemployed and underemployed.

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50 Comments

  1. ATKINSON
    August 27, 2015

    This NEP is just another feel good program by this no job vision, socialist minded DLP government. Of the 1499, how many are doing community employment? Does the government make payment toward their social security? Do they get sick and vacation days as other civil service workers? And the private business who employed these people, why did they not advertise these jobs and have interviews? Or is it that they are hiring people because they know the government is paying the salary or most of it, not them. And what usually happens after a few months, they let that person go and get a new set of NEP workers. So a person looking for a job and not into the NEP program is at big disadvantage. This program is setting up our people for a huge disappointment.

  2. DARYL TICK
    August 27, 2015

    Ian was having a Sober discussion

  3. kord kapi
    August 27, 2015

    My question to Mr. Douglas: How many NEP employee can go to the bank on an NEP salary and apply for a car, land or house loan to start their life? I mean that NEP program is a farce and embarrassment to any young graduate who really wants to make it in life and is stuck in a vacillating and unpredictable employment program like the NEP.

  4. Francisco Telemaque
    August 26, 2015

    ” National Employment Programme”(Ian Douglas).

    Foolish boy Ian Douglas, you are at it again simply blowing out fart at both ends simultaneously; that so called national employment programme that you and Skerrit, and all the other puppets, in Skerit’s circus are so proud of is nothing more than a welfare programme.

    It is the same as when you all give away millions of dollars in bribes for the buying of votes. How long can this continue, and who are you serving with this give away?

    I wonder if only the red devils are the benefactors of that give away, you know; those people who must dress in red when they are bowing to kiss Skerrit Butt, to get the pittance he hands them in an envelope marked “from the Prime Minister.”

    I wonder where that boy Skerrit thief that hand out money from to give to those red devils!

    Hahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahah!

  5. Labour Power
    August 26, 2015

    Dominica is now a communist county, except in this version of communism, the government has killed all productive sectors in favour of reying on handouts to fund their unproductive social programs, a recipe for financial ruin…

  6. Malgraysa
    August 26, 2015

    We should recognize the disaster we are looking at here. 1,500 young people on NEP out of total population of 70,000 represents 2.143%. Projected over a country like the U.S.A. would mean that 6.89 million people in the U.S.A. would be on a U.S. government funded employment scheme that is not market driven. Even during the great depression, 1929-1932, when the unemployment rate in the U.S.A. rose to 25%, that country was not faced with a dismal situation like we are. The unemployed in the U.S.A. were put to work on public projects such as road building, the construction of dams etc. under the visionary leadership of President Hoover, the like of whom we sadly do not have at the helm of our government. Instead we are boasting about the genius of NEP.

  7. Shameless
    August 26, 2015

    And Ian have heart talking so proudly about that unemployment programme? :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: . This just tells us how many qualified people are still on unemployment benefits commonly known in Dca as the NEPS program. :twisted: :twisted: What a damn shame. This is a failed state being lead by a clueless government. China and Venezuela going broke so let me see how you all will move forward now.

    Assertive, NEVER Aggressive! :twisted:

  8. UserName
    August 26, 2015

    A significant expansion of NEP with engagements secured for 1, 499 persons. Sounding nice but not very clear as to what it saying. “A programme that was initially designed to engage about 400-500 people has 1499 people employed as we speak, and some of them in various areas,” They are EMPLOYED so who is paying the wage bill. Is the Govt. footing the entire expense or are thee employers paying a percentage of the wage. Where is the transparent and accountable dissemination of information to the electorate!! Douglas said Government has allocated $5M for the programme. Mathematics shows $5,000,000.00 divided by 1500 people employed gives you $3,333.33. At an average of $500.00 a month (lowest permissible wage!!) the budgeted amount will only sustain the programme for 6.6 months. Did somebody miss a point or simply politician enough to… From this limited info it is not very clear as to how that programme is being operated and sustained.. But the use supplementary estimates says

  9. Ma Moses
    August 26, 2015

    Keeping it real Mr. Douglas!¬ Are these REAL jobs?

  10. memoi
    August 26, 2015

    It has been a while since we hear about that program. I wonder how good it works since I heard people were leaving because they were not getting paid or getting paid extremely late. 5 million dollars at 1100 dollars a month, that will pay them (1500 workers) for an astonishing long 3 months. That’s a joke. I think Ian is a good minister and to me maybe the most genuine one but I also think he is being controlled. Frankly I do not think that program works and we are not getting the real story.
    Sad Times in Dominica. Sad times.

    • The Real Facts
      August 26, 2015

      What is the matter with you? Can some of you ever write something positive and encouraging? Does it always have to be negative and debasing?

  11. grell
    August 26, 2015

    This is the worst program ever,young people graduate from college and have to beg you all for scraps.You guys need to get this over with,how can people survive.Ridiculous. :twisted:

    • The Real Facts
      August 26, 2015

      They are not begging. If they are unemployed, they need financial assistance that the government accords. Do not try to take away their dignity.
      Do you reside in D/ca or abroad? If you are in D/ca, I state that you are biased and narrow-minded. If you reside abroad, you should have developed broad-mindedness.
      It is the same situation in other countries. There are dentists, doctors, lawyers, etc., who graduated and who are unable to obtain employment and quickly.
      Grell, grow up! You act as an uneducated, immature simple-minded person, a child who has not yet experienced matters of the world. Learn to be broad-minded and positive. :twisted: :mrgreen: :twisted: :mrgreen: :twisted: :mrgreen:

  12. Jack
    August 26, 2015

    We will remain proffesional beggers and talkers for the next 100 yrs.

    • Gary
      August 26, 2015

      Why do you believe that your cynical assumptions are true.

    • The Real Facts
      August 26, 2015

      The word is professional. Did you not notice the red line underneath the word prior to forwarding it? Unless today “proffessional” is acceptable. I doubt it.
      I note there is a red line under the word which means, the spelling is wrong. It is conspicuous. Did you not notice it and checked the spelling?
      As much as you cannot spell properly, you of all will remain the same. Therefore, your words hold no credence.

  13. Jack
    August 26, 2015

    The British and the French build railroads after they left every thing fall apart, in Dominica we cannot build any thing our selves, we must bring foreign people to build it we cannot even manage it. Africa spends billions of dollars building the ones that build them are foreigners. You can tell if we cannot manage a small country like Dominica we must ask our selves are we educated. If one hsve a heart we have no doctors that can save us, our Engineere cannot build a simple bridge. Guadelope and Martinique cannot even feed them self. All we have to do in all these Black countries is ‘re educate our selves to developed our own countries. We have to first admit we have a problem and work so fixing it. No Black politician can solve the problem if they dont take a look to see where ever the British was all you were left with is civil servants and proffesional beggars and noise makers, we have no planners we dont know what to do we cannot even police our selves,

  14. josh shaw
    August 26, 2015

    Ian do you consider ya “NEP” employment? Can a neppie go to a bank and secure a loan to buy or build a home? Stop your foolishness after all it is you whom told us that your boss badtalks people once they have left the room.

    • The Real Facts
      August 27, 2015

      You are senseless and vindictive. You act as if you know nothing. When some people read your comment, they will ask. who is this ignorant person.
      You should be smart enough to know that when those who are on the NEP and are gainfully employed with sufficient income, they will eventually be able to obtain a mortgage and build their home.
      Do you not know, as babies, people must creep before they walk to achieve their goals if they put their minds up to it?
      Smarten up! Be wise! You have much to learn!

  15. Jack
    August 26, 2015

    All Dominicans in the Diaspora who are so called educated is not, time is wasted every day talking about power in Roseau, no one has the ability to run any country in Africa or the caribean , I know because they all were educated by the British or the French. Until mr Fountain and Linton does not have companies of their own they will not be able to run Dominica either they are also badly educated. Let me tell you how bad it is in Africa, I was in Cameron needed a flight to go to Lagos Nigeria, I had to fly to France to get a flight back to Nigeria. I ask the chief Engineerer at the Air port why he told me is so it have always been so I ask him why dont they change it, he told me my friend, all Governments have spend millions having white consultants telling them how to connect all African countries, but the black run countries will not do it. Highways are the same, farms, health care, we have thousands of Engineeres and civil servants but no one can manage or build any thing.

    • Gary
      August 26, 2015

      Why do you always criticize without understanding, guess it is very easy. Your type of criticism can be described as legless man giving people advise how to run.

    • The Real Facts
      August 27, 2015

      What garbage you write. Why bother to make such statements if you are incapable of doing something for your country?
      Do you have the aptitude of running any country in Africa or the Caribbean?
      Since you project you know so much, why do you not try to operate those countries including Dominica? It is no use to sit on the sideline and criticize. This never get anyone nowhere.

  16. Jack
    August 26, 2015

    I am going to attempt to educate Dominicans one more time. We have to first understand what to do. All Dominicans who are educated under the British system were not educated to build a nation. That goes to the entire African contenant and the rest of the caribean. The population of Dominica and size, one educated Engineerer should be able to build every mile of roads, bridges, houses, sewer , six story building and any thing structural on island. Another Engineerer should be able to build all factories to can and preserve every thing in a bottle or jar, build fishing trawlers, build poultry farms , fish farms , pig farms, , export water, banking and every thing the island needs to function. All you need is 5 smart educated people to run and employ every working adults. Most of us a clueless, after50 yrs we cannot operate a simple air line. You cannot leave Nassau and fly to another island. In the caribean we cannot feed our selves. We must change the British education.

    • Tjebe fort
      August 26, 2015

      My advice, educate yourself first Jack before showing off so.

    • Gary
      August 26, 2015

      Why don’t you open up a consulting firm, seems you got all the answers, always remember talk is cheap.

    • the fly
      August 27, 2015

      JACK, i agree with some of the things you said it is true but money is a big factor for black people, and i can tell you a road engineer build only roads a house engineer build houses i my self is a welder my job is to weld heavy RSJ’s for the engineers, that how it go’s and the rest of it .

  17. Trevor Fabien
    August 26, 2015

    Hold Up Hold Up.
    I cannot believe what I’m hearing. NEP programme employing graduates or any college graduate for the job of beautification and cleaning. WoW, what a prospect after hitting the books and getting all As and B’s or ones and twos

  18. August 26, 2015

    Is the NEP going to be a permanent manner in which the young people of Dominica will be employed from now on? It is a very good thing to keep the youth employed but for what I know for a fact there is a lot of waste of tax payers money within the NEP. For instance, in the communities of Mero, Layou and St. Joseph there are coordinators who are clueless as to who and what they are coordinating yet they get paid monthly without lifting a finger. The minister should first tell the people how many permanent jobs the NEP has created since its inception. The NEP is nothing more than a political gimmick by Skerrit and the labor party. Everything that this government does is done with the intent of manipulating the people with free goodies. T

    • The Real Facts
      August 27, 2015

      Upon completion of NEP they could also seek employment. They cannot depend on the government to do everything for them. Do you not know that?

  19. mujahardin
    August 25, 2015

    A positive sign of increasing unemployment. Using NEP to try to disguise and hide the fact that the Private Sector is shrinking. I wonder if he was drunk when he spoke? While the government is supposed to create the environment for private sector to grow they are destroying the private sector while the Cabinet continues to expand proportional to their incompetence. Using NEP Skerrit trys to give the impression that the private sector is growing, while in reality it is the government that’s increasing its wage bill through its NEP. In very short time we will see that failed strategy terminated in mid air. That 5M should be invested in creating sustainable jobs in a number of sector. Skerrit is a simpleton who lacks creativity. Dominica is in serious problems, gangsters rule.

  20. The Real Facts
    August 25, 2015

    In some months, there will be 5,000 or more under this program.
    Do your best to employ as many as possible to keep them occupied while at the same time being paid. It makes people happy when they are gainfully employed, knowing it is for their benefit, be it for a short time. Therefore, they will make the most of this training process and look to the future for permanent employment or owning their own business.
    Minister Douglas, just a thought. Has your government considered, under the leadership and approval of the PM, an unemployment fund should be set up for those who obtain, be it a small income in the private sector that they could pay into?
    All employers could also contribute a percentage so that when these staff, be they permanent or temporary become unemployed, they could apply for unemployment benefit? Eventually, this could repay itself with the government contributing a certain amount to it. This should also pertain to those under the NEP.

    • hmm
      August 26, 2015

      What nonsense am I reading? hmmm

  21. Hide & Seek
    August 25, 2015

    “A programme that was initially designed to engage about 400 to 500 people has 1499 people employed as we speak, and some of them in various areas…”
    Fellow Dominicans, this statement by minister Ian Douglass confirms why this government has no vision, no clue of what they doing and where they expect to go. Was he normal and sober when he made this statement? A government planned to employ 400 to 500 hundred people and end up with 1499? Did they not know the gravity of the problem of unemployment created by his government which destroyed agriculture, the livelihood of Dominica?
    Didn’t we just have a budget debate in July of 2015? Where was Ian and the government? Why did they not use their time to tell the people of Dominica about the NEP since it was carried live? Instead these cowards played hit and run and most of them were moomoo and is now they want to go tell people about budget? Are they the opposition or the government? This is just crap and taking us for FOOLS in DA.

  22. Harry Mack
    August 25, 2015

    Will our media houses and journalists take some time out to analyse what the Labour Party politicians say?
    Ian Douglas is boasting about 1500 NEP workers and $5.0 million allocated for the program. Does Ian Douglas or anyone else realize that this is $3,333.33 per NEP for a year or $277.77 per month or $12.08 per working day or $1.509 per working hour?
    When are Dominicans going to tell this bunch of lying politicians that enough is enough? They cannot continue to insult the intelligence of a bunch of illiterate followers? Come on do the maths. Divide $5,000,000.00 into 1500 NEPs and tell me what you get. Maybe my electronic calculator is playing games with me, so I’m going to get a counter with beads and a slate with chalk. It appears that Dominicans are back in kindergarten with this government ministers. What a shame!

    • mujahardin
      August 26, 2015

      Boy you analyze that just like Lennox Linton. Beautiful analysis. Which means that we will definitely see millions been spent by way of supplementary estimates for additional money for NEP. I want a counting slate with beads too. Good work.

  23. Etelbut
    August 25, 2015

    NEP What? Ian, how do you all sleep at night when you think of the madness you all doing to our country? Look,, how do you all justify taking tax payers money to build houses for people that are able but were never willing to build. I challenge you folks to just go to Mr. Skerrit’s constituency for example, and see how your monies are being spent in the name of NEP. I mean government is literally building three bed room homes for people where in most cases husband and or wife is working, three to four of their children are working for government, in most cases children are renting which means only parents are left in the house, yet this wicked government is using the so called NEP program to buy materials and pay 4-5 young men to build a house for them while others have to struggle with mortgage. How wicked! I challenge you all to investigate it and start Skerrit’s constituency

    • The Real Facts
      August 27, 2015

      What are you critics doing for your country?
      Do you not know in the words of the late President Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”
      Too many of you like to criticize but this is all. Your comments assist no one. They are not impressive.

  24. Passing cloud
    August 25, 2015

    This is a lazy, wicked, ungodly government that should be charged for misappropriation of funds. I mean these guys are only concerned about staying in power at all cost and they careless about the future of Dominica. I mean if these funds they spending on the NEP program was used to help bring grown to Dominica in any way, shape or form, I would say beautiful. But just to use tax payers money left right and center, just to show a false impression is wicked! It’s like a man cheating on his wife and doesn’t mind buying her expensive clothes that she might never wear or sending her on cruse to cover his fault. An independent party should investigate who is employed, how much they are paid,, and what’s the return because I know many of them are paid to work in private institutions where they are not needed at all. It’s just wickedness Ian and you all must be investigated and jailed when found guilty. This NEP is still building houses for persons that are well able and healthy as pay 4…

  25. too late
    August 25, 2015

    all this government can talk about is NEP , bus fare they pay for students, red clinic and yes we care.

    Where are the jobs?? People need jobs !

    • The Real Facts
      August 27, 2015

      Go out to the private sector and ask the business people what are their plans to create jobs.

  26. Jack
    August 25, 2015

    Mr Douglas add programs for them to create employment for them selves, like bottling water , can and package all the fruits we have wasting. We have the Caribean and the Atlantic ocean , and after 60 yrs we do not have a fishing board that can go out for a week and bring back two tons of fish, as a people we have failed in these areas. That would bring down the price of fish. At the Abattoir we should make pork sausages and ship to Caricom countries.

  27. Pride
    August 25, 2015

    The word is prideless and not priceless.

    • Tjebe fort
      August 26, 2015

      You can use both because they are priceless too, they have no price, no value, Be honest, who would like to employ Ian Douglas or even Roosevelt Skerrit to run their company to lose money hand over fist?

  28. Pride
    August 25, 2015

    What a priceless regime! The caption should have read “more lies being gutted.”

  29. troubled times
    August 25, 2015

    This figure also shows that our economy is unable to create the real jobs to accommodate our Young graduates.

  30. missy white
    August 25, 2015

    good creativity by our government…noo ka travi…we will use the across the board taxes to pay them…everybody happy…progresss we like it so :twisted:

  31. Ryan
    August 25, 2015

    Wow that’s nice … So that justify that what Lenox and team Dominica said last year about the heigh unemployment rate is definitely true … 1500 in 9 months … In 2 years I guess an easy 3000

    • The Real Facts
      August 27, 2015

      Did you mean “high” unemployment?

  32. Tjebe fort
    August 25, 2015

    I’m going so mad about this you hear. All artificial jobs that do not produce anything but costing us money! Fix the economy mr. Skerrit, for God’s sake so real jobs can be created for areal demand by businesses direct. Man, I’m telling young people to leave this island and try and make areal career outside before they grow too old. Anything but this shit..

    • The Real Facts
      August 27, 2015

      You are not realistic. Read other Websites of governments of especially progressive countries. They too are not able to create jobs. Job creation depends on the business sector.

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