In October 2007 the Agricultural Training Employment Project (ATEP) was created to enhance the personal development of unemployed former workers of the St. Kitts Sugar Manufacturing Corporation (SSMC). The project provided training in the form of attachments by former sugar workers on existing non-sugar agricultural farms and through participation in agricultural and social development workshops.

The Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF), in keeping with its policy to support social and economic development, granted EC$5,200,067.57 to the ATEP.

Many of the former sugar workers from around the entire island benefited from the project. The ATEP provided start-up support such as seeds and fertilizer to these workers for various agricultural enterprises. Workers who participated in the project developed skills in farming techniques and were given the opportunity to start up their own farms.