St. Maarten: Point Blanche prison officers join Island’s aviation summit - to learn etiquette By Alison Chambers.

Seventy prison workers from the Point Blanche Detention Centre participated in this week’s CARBAVIA 2021 - to learn etiquette and the art of handling people, a unique engagement initiative facilitated by Anna Richardson, Minister of Justice, writes Alison Chambers.

Organiser Cdr Bud Slaebbert was initially surprised to receive interest in their participation, following the placement of a local advertisement inviting aviation participation. However, he responded positively. “Why not? We must be the first event organiser ever to adapt our programme for this unusual audience,” he said, resiliently changing the schedule for speaker Leif Ytterstad to accommodate a programme for the group, which spread over two days. “It turned out to be a great success and we will do it again,” said Bud.

Leif is Head Butler and Trainer in the Sky at Fort Lauderdale, FL. DaVinci Training, one of CARIBAVIA’s long term supporters and sponsors. His usual environment is training US and international flight attendants who take care of the safety and well-being of clients who travel on private jets, or who serve in the VIP hospitality industry.

Leif dispensed advice on how to keep day to day life simple and sweet - ‘KISS,’ as he calls it. With his engaging style he brought delegates from the back of the room to the front as he encouraged them to express the issues and feelings they experience on a day to day basis. He highlighted the value of leading by example - listening to fears and plans for outside life - showing compassion. There was laughter as they listened and engaged with the Norwegian-born speaker, who adapted his presentation to reflect and appreciate the intense and challenging environment these workers encounter in their daily lives.

Ms Sabina Ampora, who holds an HR role at the detention centre listened in to the sessions.

“The presentation was marvellous and easy to follow. “Coming from outside the wall, it is a very different world for us. We have to find a way to tell our charges that things are not possible sometimes. This delivered excellent insight and some key messages for preparedness. Would we do this again? Absolutely, anything that helps us maintain a positive mindset is good.” We are all about team work here. We don’t like to give a negative answer all the time - but will say let us think about it, discuss and we will get back to you.

Pointe Blanche, St Maarten.

Pointe Blanche is a small prison which houses a women’s wing; a men’s wing and youth detention. Built in 1990, it has one of the nicest settings and from whom we met, some outstanding staff. Workers typically work on shift partners to ensure safety and security at all times. “Attending this event took some planning, but it was so worth it,” Sabina said.

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 24th June 2021 | Issue #611

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