The taxi drivers of the island of Sao Vicente will begin a technical English course at the English Language Institute beginning today, December 12.

The initiative comes from the Sao Vicente Taxi Drivers' Association and is being supported by the Growth and Competitiveness Fund and the Sao Vicente municipal chamber.

Twenty cab drivers will attend the technical English course at the Mindelo branch of the English Language Institute. The course will have a total of 50 classroom hours and will be administered by the Institute's director, Ana Salomao.

It is hoped that the example of this innovative initiative will be followed by Cape Verde's other islands as well.

The drivers taking part in the class have also been attending a Public Relations course over the past several months. According to Association president Manuel Melo, the intention of the initiative is to prepare taxi drivers so that they may carry out their profession in a dignified manner.

This English class is very important for us. It's a work instrument, especially because the country and Sao Vicente in particular is working to increase tourism levels, which requires a certain amount of preparation on the part of the professionals working in the sector, in this case, taxi drivers, says Melo, who believes that there are a number of good professionals who have nevertheless missed out on work opportunities because they cannot understand their clients.

Meloas next challenge is to provide a French language course for the island's taxi drivers. The task is not an easy one, particularly as a result of the elevated costs involved. But Melo is optimistic and hopes to be able to count once again on the support of local institutions.

Source: A Semana