An Opportunity to Pursue Untapped Possibilities

Forging a New Career Path 

In 2017, 34-year-old Shannon Bell was working as a graphic designer, but after Hurricane Irma hit Sint Maarten, the company where she had worked never reopened. She was one of the thousands of people who lost their jobs after the storm’s winds left a trail of devastation throughout the country. 

Shannon’s new path began in 2018 when she responded to a newspaper announcement for a six-month intensive course on general property maintenance, which was financed by the Emergency Income Support and Training Project, supported by the Sint Maarten Trust Fund, and administered by the World Bank on behalf of the government of the Netherlands.  

Shannon excelled and finished as the top participant in her cohort, in the program covering carpentry, masonry, landscaping, electric, and plumbing. As part of the course, she was given the opportunity to work with a construction company, where she learned additional skills, such as steelwork. 

After graduation, Shannon was quickly recruited by a construction company in charge of the post-Irma housing reconstruction under the Emergency Recovery Project I, another Sint Maarten Trust Fund project. Today, Shannon works as a health and safety officer for airport reconstruction: “It was an old passion rekindled,” she says proudly. 

Supporting Economic Recovery 

Sint Maarten’s overall 2017 unemployment rate (6.2 percent) and youth unemployment rate (23.8 percent) rose significantly following the hurricane as tourism businesses shut down. Rapid economic recovery and reconstruction have been critical to generate revenues and avoid further job losses. Support to stimulate access to finance and business recovery has also been necessary to enable the private sector to grow and contribute to the country’s overall economic recovery.  

The Emergency Income Support and Training Project was prepared as an emergency response to help mitigate the economic impacts by protecting poor and vulnerable people. The project got underway when the major educational institutions on the island were severely damaged and remained closed.  

One main component of the project was supporting the social safety net and enhancing employability by providing occupational training and income support to beneficiaries left under- and unemployed from the tourism sector. The training program offered a six-month training and certification program and an opportunity to take a course on English as a second language. The program also provided health insurance during participants’ coursework. 

Shannon is among the 1,960 project beneficiaries who received income support and training (through 2022), of which 69 percent were women. The program reached two out of every four unemployed persons in the country, of which 27 percent were youth. Ninety-three percent of the beneficiaries completed the recommended training successfully, exceeding the completion target by 50 percent. 

It Is Only the Beginning 

Just like Shannon, many participants who graduated from the training program were able to find new jobs or return to their previous jobs. Moreover, for many, acquiring the certificate has been a stepping stone that encourages them to further their education at the University of St. Martin or the National Institute for Professional Advancement. 

Speaking about her own progression from training to housing reconstruction work, Shannon says, “You’re not just developing yourself; it affects the people around you, people in need. The home repairs project, for example—to me that was an exciting project because not only was it construction-related, but also you are giving back to the community.”