By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Thursday 12th February 2026)-Deputy Prime Minister and Minister with responsibility for the Skills Training Empowerment Programme (STEP), Dr. Geoffrey Hanley has dismissed social media claims that workers are being sent home, stating “We are not firing anybody.”
He made the disclosure during the sitting of the National Assembly on Thursday 12th February 2026, responding to a social media letter regarding the STEP Programme and outlining government’s reform efforts aimed at sustainability and shared responsibility with businesses.
Dr. Hanley shared: “… I saw something out there in the social media and as the minister with responsibility, I would not allow the social media to mislead the nation.”
According to him: “… when I see in the social media the letter that was sent to a particular business giving the impression, in the article, that we are running home people; people are going to be losing their jobs- Madame Speaker, absolutely rubbish. We are not firing anybody. All were are asking the businesses to do is to partner with the government so that we will be able to invest more in people.”
He highlighted that the reform discussions are not new.
“As you are aware, Madame Speaker, probably from since 2023, I have been speaking about the need for us to reform the STEP programme in this honourable house.”
He explained the original intent of the initiative, saying: “The original objective of the program was to facilitate employment of participants by providing them training to assist with achieving a long-term vision for development of our human capital and of course entrepreneurial skills. The plan, Madame Speaker, was to create a more efficient system to assist a large number of unskilled persons to successfully integrate into the workforce. The programme was also designed to assist trainees with this stipend and of course with the intention of them moving on but now”
Reflecting on the programme’s longevity, he stated: “…this programme has stuck with us…starting in 2012 and sad to say that there are some persons who are still on the program assigned to a number of businesses we were charged with the mandate of doing reform.”
Dr. Hanley outlined steps taken toward reform which includes work being carried out by a committee put in place.
“We put a committee in place with a number of professionals who shared their report with the cabinet. And what we are doing, Madame Speaker, is ensuring that we bring the program to a sustainable level. Now, part of the reform speaker was to dialogue with the businesses that persons are assigned to, and we have been doing those consultations. Matter of fact, most of them were done last year and they were all written to, indicating to them our intentions. Many of them came in, Madame Speaker, [and] sat with the team at the office and agreed that something had to be done.”
He added: “We are grateful to those who from the very onset said ‘I can do 50-50’. We are happy with that. There are some who brought in their statements and were able to say to us, at this time, ‘I can only do 60-40. I do 40, the program does the 60 as things get better’, and we welcomed those and every business would have been communicated or if they’re not in the batch; all will be. And all we’re asking Madame Speaker, is for these businesses after 10, 11 years you have persons assigned to you, it is only fair for you to now consider firstly partnering with us- sharing so that we’ll be able to help more persons who are in need of that assistance and eventually, we move towards you fully employing these people. I am very mindful, Madame Speaker, of the society that we are living in and very often when things are shown in the social media, we take it for gospel.”
Quoting scripture, he said: “But I am reminded this morning, in Proverbs 12 and 27, ‘Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth’.”
He continued: “Basically what this scripture is saying to us, Madam Speaker, it highlights the danger of laziness and the value of using resources wisely. We know the programme has been a blessing to a number of persons and will continue to be a blessing but we cannot allow the programme to continue the way it is going otherwise we might end up in some serious problems. So when I see in the social media the letter that was sent to a particular business giving the impression, in the article, that we are running home people; people are going to be losing their jobs- Madame Speaker, absolutely rubbish. We are not firing anybody. All were are asking the businesses to do is to partner with the government so that we will be able to invest more in people.”
Dr. Hanley further stated: “because the reality is Madame Speaker, many of us would have been talking about how the programme; the persons not working and that kind of stuff and now we are trying to reorganize because the former administration promised reform and of course that didn’t happen, and we are doing that.”