*Productivity Week Poster competition winners rewarded |29 November 2016

Eric Albert and Lester Lepathy accepting their prizes 

Students who took part in a poster competition to mark Productivity Week 2016 in February have been presented with their prizes.

The prize-giving ceremony, held last Thursday in the National Library lobby, was organised by the Ministry of Employment, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development.

Eric Albert from Anse Royale secondary school was the overall winner in the secondary category whereas Lester Lepathy from the Seychelles Institute of Art and Design (SIAD) was the winner in the professional centres’ category.

The prizes have been sponsored by Airtel and comprise 4GB smart phones, power banks, stationery and promotional items.

The theme chosen for the competition was ‘My Career, My Family, My Seychelles’.

Eric’s poster shows the clocktower surrounded by buildings, green vegetation, people and the sea with boats in a heart-shaped frame with the national flag as backdrop.

“My drawing represents Seychelles and all different works that exist in the country and how Seychelles has developed since the establishment of the clock tower which is still around and it happens that most work is in Victoria,” he said.

Lester on the other hand drew five hands with one holding the national flag, the second holding a book, the third a laptop, the fourth a graduating hat and the last one a hammer.

“My poster represents working for our family and Seychelles. It shows everybody are working for their family which is of a benefit for Seychelles. That is the way I see it. The flag represents Seychelles, the book represents education, the laptop represents technology and the hammer represents work in the end,” Lester said.

It was Dr Odile Decommarmond, the principal secretary for education in the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, who presented Eric with his prize, as well as second place winner Nirra Landry from Beau Vallon secondary (collected by her mum) and third place winner Jeremie Revera from Anse Royale secondary school.

The principal secretary for employment in the Ministry of Employment, Entrepreneurship Development & Business Innovation Jules Baker presented prizes to first place Lester Lepathy and also to second place winner Stefania Mathiot from the National Institute for Health and Social Services (NIHSS) and to third place winner Nelly Estrale from SIAD.

PS Baker also presented other students – Denise Quatre from Anse Royale secondary, Dare Songoir and Shane Kilindo from SIAD, with a certificate of recognition for their participation.

The competition was only for students from secondary schools and professional centres.

The presentation of prizes took place in the presence of the principal secretary for entrepreneurship development & business innovation Pamela Charlette, special advisor in the Ministry of Employment, Entrepreneurship Development & Business Innovation Veronique Bresson, the secretary general of the Federation of Workers Union Antoine Robinson, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) coordinator for Airtel Marie-Pierre Volcère, parents, teachers and other invitees.

The competition was launched in February during Productivity Awareness Week by the former Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development in collaboration with the former Ministry of Education.

The aim of the competition was to promote and foster awareness on productivity related issues so as to enable the students to be acquainted with productivity issues at a young age so that the concept carries through them in adult life.

The head of the Productivity Unit in the Ministry of Employment, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation Maryvonne Francis said that her ministry was very satisfied with the turn-out and the quality of drawings even though the competition was pushed further to March as most students were on school holidays with some also taking part in other poster competitions.

She said the posters were judged on their originality, whether the theme message had been well understood, creativity among others.

The winning posters