KRALENDIJK- The Public Entity Bonaire has signed a cooperation agreement with FORMA to provide courses for local employees. The aim of the development program is to (further) train local employees and thereby offer them more opportunities to continue to grow in the labor market. The development program also aims to encourage the private sector to raise wages.

Currently, around 4000 people work in the tourism sector, the largest sector on the island. The courses are first aimed at employees in the hospitality sector, followed by courses for employees in other sectors. “The Strategic Tourism Master Plan and Tourism Recovery Plan established that it is imperative to continue developing Bonaire’s human capital. With the courses we want to achieve that employees in the hospitality sector gain better competences, become more skilled in the practice of their profession and see this reflected in their remuneration”, says Deputy Hennyson Thielman

The FORMA foundation is a training center for adult education and will provide and coordinate the courses in collaboration with various local catering companies. “It is important that adults also have the opportunity to continue to develop in their field,” says Commissioner Nina den Heyer.

Board program

The collaboration between FORMA and the public body Bonaire is the result of an agreement in the board program of the Executive Council Bonaire 2019-2023; one of the priorities is to set up a training plan in collaboration with the stakeholders. The teaching program consists of a combination of various training courses, self-study and gaining practical experience. The Public Entity covers the costs for the courses based on the number of participants. Each course lasts between 8 and 20 weeks based on 1 or 2 times a week and between 12 and 20 people can participate per course,

More information about the types of courses and starting dates will follow shortly.