A transformative professional development initiative is empowering a dozen public service workers in Dominica, after the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) partnered with Trinidad and Tobago’s Cipriani College of Labour and Cooperative Studies to award full scholarships for specialized higher education programs.
Announced in an official release from the DPSU, this collaboration opens new academic pathways for the 12 selected recipients, who will pursue accredited certificate and diploma credentials across four high-demand fields: Industrial Relations, Human Resource Management, Project Management, and Emergency Management. All academic programs offered through the partnership hold formal accreditation from Cipriani College and approval from the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago (ACTT). Built on a framework of regional reciprocal qualification recognition, the credentials earned through these programs are accepted across the entire Caribbean community, adding long-term value to participants’ professional profiles.
For the DPSU, the scholarship program is far more than an individual benefit – it is framed as a strategic investment in both the union’s membership and the future of public service across the region. Union leaders emphasized that the enhanced skills and knowledge gained by participants will not only advance their individual careers, but will also strengthen the capacity of the DPSU as an organization and the public sector agencies that employ the scholarship recipients.
This partnership addresses a critical strategic need for regional labor and public sector organizations: building a pipeline of skilled talent to support long-term succession planning. By upskilling early- and mid-career public servants and trade union representatives, the initiative aims to cultivate a new generation of competent, adaptable public administrators and labor leaders who are prepared to lead across the Caribbean.
The timing of the initiative reflects a growing regional focus on adapting to shifting labor market dynamics. As the world of work evolves to meet changing social and economic demands, the DPSU notes that building a skilled, flexible workforce is essential to shaping a future labor market that is fair, equitable, and responsive to the needs of communities across the region.
The one-year academic programs officially launched on September 1, 2026, with participants scheduled to complete all degree requirements by 2027. The full roster of selected scholars and their respective programs are as follows:
– Shanice Alcendor, Ministry of Housing & Urban Development, Project Management
– Terry Auguiste, Dominica Fire & Ambulance Services, Emergency Management
– Glean Lander Charles, Labour Division, Industrial Relations
– Abigail Christopher, Department of Social Services, Human Resource Management
– Onella Coates, DASPA, Project Management
– Denise James, Establishment, Personnel and Training Department, Human Resource Management
– Shamber Leblanc, Labour Division, Industrial Relations
– Davia Shillingford, Ministry of Health, Wellness and Social Services, Human Resource Management
– Kerry Ann R Timothy, Ministry of Culture, Youth, Sports and Community Development (Youth Division), Industrial Relations
– Josiah Victor, Environmental Health Unit, Industrial Relations
– Tasha Winston, Ministry of Health, Wellness and Social Services, Human Resource Management
– Ursha P Winston, Ministry of Culture, Youth, Sports and Community Development (Basic Needs Trust Fund), Industrial Relations
In closing, the DPSU extended formal gratitude to the Cipriani College of Labour and Cooperative Studies for its collaboration and commitment to regional professional development, noting that the partnership has created an accessible, high-quality opportunity that would not have been possible for many of the recipients without institutional support.