Educational Services Bureau ESB


Press Release No. 2006 - 011
Phone: 28 32 66 Fax: 32 23 86 E-mail: esb@eduhq.edu.sc

As it is customary every year, the Ministry of Education and Youth organises a reception to welcome the university graduates back in the country. A hundred graduates who successfully completed their studies last year attended the event which took place on Friday 21^st April 2006. The highlight of the reception was the presentation of the Vice President’s Award to the graduate with the most excellent performance in his/her studies.

The government invested over Rs. 50 million in the 2005 group of graduates who have pursued their undergraduate and post graduate studies in various universities abroad, mainly in Europe and Australia . They have qualified in fields such as teaching, engineering, psychology, and business studies among others.

Text Box: Vice President Belmont presenting the award to Stanley Valentin. Valentin (left) receives the Best Returning Graduate’s award from Vice-President Belmont Out of the group, Stanley Valentin emerged as the best returning graduate for 2005 with his impressive First Class Honours in BSc Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management from Bolton University (UK). During a short ceremony before the reception, Vice President Joseph Belmont presented Mr. Valentin with the award in the presence of the President of the Republic, the Minister for Education and Youth, senior officers from the Department of Education and Human Resources Development and other graduates.

Significantly, since last year the government has introduced several incentives to both complement the investment it has made in the training of graduates and also to reduce the brain drain which affects many small island states. These incentives include an increase of the monthly housing allowance from Rs. 1000 to Rs. 2000, the extension of the housing allowance to three years instead of two and also the introduction of the graduate specialist cadre scheme of service and the Executive Contract system. These incentives are available only to graduates employed by the government and the latter is also encouraging the private sector to follow suit.

Warm congratulations to all the returning graduates

In his speech to mark the occasion, the Minister for Education and Youth, Mr. Danny Faure, congratulated the graduates for making the country proud, for their personal achievements are also the country’s accomplishments. He has advised them “not to consider themselves as mere caretakers of the system within which they work but as instruments of change and development.” Minister Faure also informed the graduates that President Michel has “asked all employing organisations to provide the necessary human resources and management support to ensure that all employees, including graduates, are given the best possible working environment in which they can be productive and make maximum use of their knowledge and skills.”

On behalf of his fellow graduates, Divino Sabino delivered the vote of thanks which centred around the national theme Celebrate Seychelles. He has asked the group to celebrate their hard work, their achievements and the opportunities at their disposal. He said that success throughout their student life is largely the result of the constant support and encouragement from their teachers, lecturers, parents and the government, and to this all graduates are very grateful.

After the formal part of the event, the graduates had the opportunity to meet with the President, the Vice President and Minister Faure to chat informally about their experience at university, their new job, and future plans.