LIAT EMPLOYEES BENEFIT FROM INAUGURATION TRAINING

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, November 24, 2009 – More than 200 employees of the regional air carrier LIAT have participated in a series of two-day integration and motivational training workshops as the company moves to ensure that staff are properly trained, motivated and empowered to meet the challenges facing the organisation and to deliver high quality service to customers.

Acting Chief Executive Officer, Brian Challenger said the company took the decision to embark on the large scale training exercise out of a realisation that human development was critical, not only for the company, but also for the employees themselves.

“When I came on board in April I visited a number of the islands and one of the persistent issues that kept coming up was the need for improved communication and coordination among departments; and in many instances staff also pointed out that they did not know some of their colleagues,” Mr. Challenger explained.  “Due to our financial situation, training had often not been given the priority that it needed -- particularly what I would call soft training.

“Of course we have provided the required technical training. For example we send our pilots and engineers on training on a consistent basis but the softer training, the inter-personal type of training was something that had been missing,” Mr. Challenger added.

Thirteen workshops were held over a five-week period from October 19 to November 19 – eight in Antigua, three in St. Lucia and two in Barbados – with employees of the ground handling companies contracted to LIAT also benefiting from the training.

Mr. Challenger said LIAT hopes to continue the integration training in 2010 as well as providing refresher-type training from time to time.

Meanwhile, former director of marketing and corporate development at LIAT, and workshop facilitator David Stuart said that in tough economic times like the present, companies must undergo significant change just to remain financially healthy and relevant.  “It is to the credit of the LIAT Board and Management that they have recognised the need to ensure that their greatest assets, their employees, are properly trained,” Mr. Stuart said.

“This series of workshops focused on the concept that the customer is the boss; the customer is the reason LIAT is in business; and employees were urged to work together efficiently in their own areas and to operate in harmony with the rest of the organisation with the understanding that no one wins until they all do.”  Mr. Stuart said that he was honoured to have been selected to conduct the training.