MORE than 700 participants in the Public Service Professional Engagement Programme (PS-PEP), formerly the 52 Week Programme, have received letters confirming their status as public servants, according to Minister of Labour and Public Service Pia Glover-Rolle.

She said the confirmation letters, issued to 725 individuals this month, address longstanding concerns about job insecurity among programme participants, some of whom had been waiting for over a decade to formalise their roles.

“We are fixing this process, not only for those who were waiting to be regularised, but for those who will join the next cohort of PS-PEP,” she said. “This past year, we did not recruit a new cohort because it was paramount that we fix this programme before bringing new participants in.”

Mrs Glover-Rolle said the revamped PS-PEP will now operate as a genuine 52-week initiative, with participants undergoing assessments throughout the year. Successful candidates will be eligible for permanent government employment after completing the programme and a probationary period.

The ministry said the announcement has been met with praise from newly confirmed public servants.

Tricia Sylvester, a participant since September 2022, reportedly began as a janitorial staff member before transitioning to a filing assistant role at the Ministry of Labour and the Public Service. Reflecting on her journey, Ms Sylvester said: “Now that I have received my letter, I feel like I can truly make progress in the public service. There’s less hand holding, more accountability, more job security, and better pay.”

Another participant, Decaldo Whylly, expressed similar gratitude after his four-and-a-half-year wait for confirmation. “The race is truly not for the swift but for those who endure to the end,” Mr Whylly said. “People now have an opportunity to fulfill their purpose, dreams, and aspirations. We have more income and are better able to make decisions for ourselves and our families.”