CASTRIES, St. Lucia-Representatives of Michigan's credit unions see opportunities for learning in both the U.S. and St. Lucia, the Caribbean island nation with which Michigan's credit unions have partnered.
"We're all trying to educate our members about financial issues to help them save and think about the future, and the youth market is a concern for all of us," said Jonathan Elliot, CEO and manager of MemberFocus Community Credit Union in Dearborn, Mich., who was part of a recent seven-member Michigan league delegation that visited St. Lucia Co-operative League Ltd. member organizations as part of World Council of Credit Unions' (WOCCU) International Partnerships Program. "The major difference has to do with a lack of financial transaction technology in St. Lucia. The availability of electronic services is just not there."
One of the delegation's goals was to work toward increasing technological capabilities by conducting a needs assessment of St. Lucia's credit unions during its visit to the island in March. A seminar on operational solutions, including technological ones, and a peer job-shadowing exchange also highlighted the visit, WOCCU reported.
