Interim Director of the Virgin Islands Public Service Learning Institute (VIPSLI), Dr. Connie E. George has completed the first phase of a regional and international study tour with the Civil Service College in the Cayman Islands.

During the visit from February 21 to 23, Dr. George. gained insight on how the Cayman Islands’ Civil Service College functions, including the systems and strategies used to maximise learning and development. She  was given a tour of the college’s purpose-built facility, constructed to independently support and manage the continuous learning and development of public officers.

The Interim Director engaged with ongoing training sessions and met with senior public officers within the Cayman Islands’ Civil Service during her visit. Her engagements included meetings with the Chief Officer with portfolio of the Civil Service, Gloria McField-Nixon and Monique Malcom, Director of the Civil Service College and her team of administrators and facilitators.

Dr. George also met with the Deputy Governor of the Cayman Islands, Honourable Franz Manderson, Cert Hon, JP to discuss the Territory’s plans and strategies for the advancement of the Civil Service. She also attended a Senior Leaders Conference hosted by the Civil Service College, focused on providing leadership through technological change. Dr. George said, “Study tours like these are vital as we work towards building a sustainable model for learning and development through VIPSLI. We are actively learning from those around us as we chart the course for the advancement of our public officers.”

The Interim Director said the institute will provide learning opportunities for public officers to engage in training that is delivered using in-person and virtual modes. This advancement is in line with the Institute’s vision to ensure that local, regional and international learning and development opportunities are available for a wide cross-section of public officers, bolstering the capacity within the Public Service.

Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Sharleen DaBreo-Lettsome, MBE said, “We are strategically crafting the foundation of VIPSLI to be a global model for the learning and development of public officers. This means that we must use the example of Public Services similar to us who have achieved success in this regard.”

Mrs. DaBreo-Lettsome added, “The key to continued successful learning and development is to establish partnerships regionally and internationally and to use these relationships to develop programmes that meet the needs of public officers.”

In 2023, VIPSLI trained more than 1000 public officers across industries through courses that were tailored to the specific needs of public officers. This represents more than 40% of the Public Service receiving training at various levels and through partnerships with the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC), Virgin Atlantic Ltd., Global Government Forum (UK), the International Centre for Parliamentary Studies (ICPS), CARICAD and various other regional and international bodies.

The vision of the Virgin Islands Public Service Learning Institute is to develop a world-class Public Service filled with highly skilled and adaptable officers.