Cabinet Funds Training for 30 Crane Operators to Support Port and Construction Sectors
Thirty new crane operators will be trained under a government-funded programme aimed at addressing an urgent shortage of skilled equipment operators in the port and construction sectors.
The initiative was announced Friday by Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant during the post-Cabinet media briefing.
Merchant said Cabinet has agreed to finance the training programme in partnership with a local crane operator, who will conduct instruction for all 30 participants.
The decision follows concerns raised within government about the need for more certified operators to service the port and meet growing national demand.
According to the briefing, the shortage of crane operators affects both port logistics and private-sector construction activity, with increased pressure expected ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
The government views the programme as essential for strengthening operational readiness as preparations intensify for hosting the high-level international event.
Merchant noted that the Cabinet considered the training opportunity to be significant for young people seeking technical careers, offering a pathway into a field that is increasingly important to economic activity and national infrastructure development.
The crane-operator training forms part of a broader set of decisions outlined at the briefing, which also included updates on health-sector expansion, agricultural partnerships, sports development, and diplomatic appointments.
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Like I said..if we had a government that knew what they were doing and wasn’t so caught up in their own self grandizing politics, Antigua would have been 15-25 years further than where they are today.
From the Birds to now the Brownes, they have all squandered the golden years of Antigua.
Antigua should be sending skilled workers to others countries, not bring them in, but here we are in 2025 and we are still way behind others when it comes to any type of skills.
This is part of the reason the place is so damn expensive, because everything is imported, including skilled labor.
Montserrat is building their little port next door, and not one skilled Antiguan is on that project, not one..just imagine that.
This government is now trying to make up for the many woes, but I’m sorry that the cart has already tumbled done that road.
Is it now this government talking about “training”, really?
Yep folks..all you have working on your behalf is a very reactive government..they always have big speech after the fact..
Where is the instinctive measures of this government? why do they Always seems to get things late and are way behind? Antigua use to dominate everything, and now we can’t even get a cricketer on the west insides side, instead we have a PM who just like to fly off at the mouth and bring down our national hero’s.
We want back the days where Viv, richy, curtly, roberts, and many others that use to dominate the local topics, not this reactive, mediocre representation we are having in Antigua these days.
Even foreigners are coming to Antigua and their voices are even heard before Antiguan’s.
How is that? Even the Spanish(nothing against them) even have a louder voice in Antigua, and their agenda dominates the Airways way more than the very Antiguan’s who live there.
This has to change, must.