by Linda Straker
- 9 senior management positions made redundant
- Opposition Leader told Parliament about reduced students for SGU 2022/2023 school year
- SGU is a top contributor to Grenada’s GDP, averaging 22% over past 3 years
St George’s University (SGU) has confirmed that several of its senior management positions have been made redundant; those affected are getting transitional support.
“We have eliminated 1% of our staff and that is equivalent to 9 people affected by this decision,” said a spokesperson for the University’s communication unit. A trade union does not represent the senior management staff. The Grenada Technical and Allied Workers Union (GTAWU) represents junior staff.
When asked for the reason behind the termination of the jobs, the University spokesperson said that just like most companies over the world, Covid-19 has caused some type of effect one way or the other. They too are feeling the effects and are making necessary strategic adjustments.
When asked to confirm that the University was experiencing a reduction in enrollment linked to staff sending home, the spokesperson said that they are not a liberty to disclose such information for legal reasons.
In his response to the 2023 budget statement, Opposition Leader Dr Keith Mitchell told the Parliament that there were reduced students for the 2022-2023 school year. “Grenada is a part of the global village, and the challenges affecting the global economy will continue to have spill-over effects impacting us in various sectors. We have seen it in the cost of goods and services, disruptions in trade, and even a fall in the student intake for 2022-2023 at St George’s University, which accounts for 25% of our GDP. All these factors suggest a further struggle for the growth prospects for Grenada in 2023,” he said.
SGU is a private university offering educational endeavours to international students. The primary areas offered are medicine, veterinary medicine, arts and sciences, and graduate sciences.
It is recognised as one of the top contributors to Grenada’s GDP, averaging 22% over the past 3 years and higher in “normal times” or before the Covid-19 pandemic period. The contribution transcended many sectors, including real estate, entertainment, wholesale and retail services, construction, and hotel entities.
Grenada does NOT need to seek monies from China – beware the CCP . That is Grenada’s biggest threat .
If I had my way, I will ask the Chinese to leave.
This is a good example which highlights the lack of other investments. Grenada has never truly exploit investment potential in tourism. Grenada needs another 20-30 hotels.
Where do you suggest we put them? So, let’s invite more foreign developers to own them, great idea, NOT!
Melinda, Grenada is a tourist destination. I’ll suggest you spend more time in the northern part of Grenada.
Currently, there are Spice isle, True Blue, Mt Cinnamon, Coyaba, Grand Beach resort, once Ramada, LA Source now Sandals, Flamboyant now something else on hold…Silver Sands, Rex, now Royalton. If you noticed, there are recycled hotel names than new ones.
Not all hotels have to be a beach resort. Grenada 4-5 stars room stock are very limited. There are lots of 2-3 stars, sadly, those don’t create the type of jobs needed.
Lands can be leased with clauses train and hire locals without imported white managers.
CBI has killed the true potential as this don’t bring in actual guests foot traffic.
To add, worked at La Source long before it was Sandals. Rex and La Source were opened 1992 thereabouts.
La Source was 100 room 4.5 stars resort and employed 240. To add, the main shareholder was Grenadian.
After Rex and La Source there have not being any hotel with this magnitude on the island.
The North of island is beautiful and sadly lacks investments.
I worked with folks who moved from Carriacou and Petite Martinique to find work in La Source.
Carriacou itself needs 2-3 100 room hotel.
As I said before CBI reduced Grenada potential to develop its tourist product.
Folks who owns a condo true CBI does not mean they have to be there.
A one 100 room hotel means breakfast, lunch and dinner need to prepared and served.
It was a great opportunity for folks who worked in the hotel industry to transition to the cruise ship industry and vice versa.
This idea of Imani workers is political tool used harvest votes. Grenadians should be able to take care of themselves and families without having to worry which government is in power.