WILLEMSTAD - The Country of Curaçao, represented by the Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas (also Minister of Justice), Minister Ruthmilda Larmonie-Cecilia of Social Development, Labor and Welfare, Minister Sithree van Heydoorn of Education, Science, Culture and Sport and the Commander of the Navy in the Caribbean, Brigadier General of the Marines Frank Boots have signed the covenant for the professionalization of the “Social Training Trajectory Curaçao” (SVT) today. The covenant is an elaboration of previous agreements in the National Package. Defense will bear a larger part of the costs of the training. The Government of Curaçao is ultimately responsible for the SVT.
The Social Training Trajectory (SVT) in Curaçao is entering a new phase. A covenant was signed today to further professionalize the SVT. With the new covenant, the relevant ministries in Curaçao and Defense jointly agree to make more human and financial resources available for the SVT. The new covenant also opens the door to training for women only. The signing of the covenant took place at Naval Base Parera.
The Social Training Trajectory is a training that consists of a military training part and an internship part. The training is intended for young people with a social disadvantage, who often have to deal with social problems. In the training, the young people learn values such as cooperation, respect, regularity, responsibility and discipline. They receive basic military training and at the end of the training part they earn a beret and certificate. After this, the young people have to do an internship for six months to one year, after which they complete the entire training. The young people are then prepared for a promising next step in civil society.
The military training part of the SVT lasts five months and is taught at Naval Base Suffisant. The instructors are soldiers of the Curaçao militia. The Curaçao government also makes staff available for the training. During the military phase, the young people learn, among other things, exercise, do a lot of sports, receive self-defense lessons and go on bivouac. They conclude the military phase with a final exercise that lasts a week.
Women
A new development in the SVT is that training for women is also made possible with the new covenant. From 2022, two training courses for men or women per year will be given on a structural basis, with a maximum of 35 people per training.
Earlier this year, Defense also signed a new covenant with the Government of Aruba.