Shake-up underway at DER

| 29/06/2010

(CNS): The minister with responsibility for labour has accused his predecessor of leaving the Department of Employment Relations (DER) in an “absolute mess”. Announcing a shake-up of the agency that deals with employment, Rolston Anglin said the previous minster had failed miserably when it came to labour matters. The minister said the DER would now be split into two departments. The new Department of Labour and Pensions will incorporate the National Pensions Office and deal directly with all disputes over employment and pension issues. The Human Capital Development Agency, which will see the DER’s job and statistics unit merge with other relevant entities, will deal with employment.

Making his announcement in the Legislative Assembly on Monday (28 June), Anglin said that the department was on the “verge of collapse” and in a “state of anarchy” when he took up office as a result of a lack of uniform management systems and major staff problems. The minister said staff had been struggling to make it through the day without a major incident and there were complaints about the use of foul language, unprofessional, unethical and immoral behaviour from inside and outside the department.
The image of the department, Anglin said, has been severely damaged and he planned to begin a public relations campaign to improve public confidence and spread the messages about the changes that have been implemented and the pending introduction of legislative, management and other changes.    
He pointed to a need to re-train staff and address the skills gap at the department, as well as expand the use of technology and build relationships between the department and immigration, the Chamber of Commerce, the Society for Human Resource Professionals and other relevant organisations.
Currently the department has over 900 registered unemployed Caymanians and is dealing with over 1,000 labour disputes. Anglin said that some staff at the DER had recently been recertified to conduct Occupational Safety and Health training. He explained this is a crucial service provided by the department, especially to the construction industry, which had fallen away because DER Staff had not kept up their certification.
He said that following the changes people would soon begin to see improvements in services from the department and “sharp rises in the long term prospects” of Caymanians. “I am confident that with the combined approach of the creation of the Department of Labour and Pensions and the Human Capital Development Agency, the installation of proper management systems … the country will see marked improvements in the delivery of labour related services,” Anglin told the Legislative Assembly.
Having emphasised the problems regarding staff, Anglin confirmed that the current director was still on “required leave” as the investigations into the complaints against him from some staff members continued. He said the investigation process had been thorough and robust and the director had been given every opportunity to take part. Anglin said the process had to be handled carefully, but he expected it to be finalised soon when he would update the Legislative Assembly.
During his statement to the Legislative Assembly, Anglin said that the former minister (Alden McLaughlin) had neglected the staff problems at the department, who reported little to no interaction from the previous minister. “The PPM administration cannot point to one single labour initiative in their four years in office,” Anglin stated. “What they can rightfully claim is the hiring of the current director and that the department plummeted to an all time low.”
Lonny Tibbetts was suspended from his post as director of the DER in February amid allegations of a paralysis between management and staff and reported complaints. Historical problems in the department’s complaints division had allegedly caused the serious personnel disputes between management and staff.
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  1. Sole Provider says:

    Rollie cant cut his political navel string from McKeeva…..its called the coat tail effect.

    On his own he would be as sterile as a male gunip tree in December.

  2. Optimist says:

    I agree with Dish Network fanatic!! The unemployed numbers are skewed because the DER simply didnt and dosent have a realistic number on the number of true employable who were unemployed. As there will always be unemployables in any society; to include them in any statistic is simply not correct.

    The public was told between 2008 and the latter part of 2009, that there was in excess of 50 placements per month. Can this number be quantified with an FOI request?

    Mr. Minister- the department is in need of a big shake up and you are to be commended for the move forward. However, it is hoped that this shakeup will not be simply a futile excercise but an excercise that brings improvements in all aspects of the DER operations. This department is much needed and has good people employed therein.

  3. Dish Network Fanatic says:

    Certainly there are not 9000 people un-employed in this country- I truthfully dont even think there was ever 4000 people un-employed. So Dexter you are more than likely wrong with the far-fetched assumption.

    What would be a good statistic is to measure the truly employable persons versus those un-employables to see what the ratio is, and I dare say that the latter would be higher.

    However, with all the above being said, until this country STOPS depending on work permit fees as a source of revenue- the un-employment in the jurisdiction will forever continue. Put a stop to all work permit renewal and grants until all employable persons have secured jobs.

  4. Ex-Caymanian & Not by Choice says:

    Rolston, why havent you broken away from the U-Blame-People team yet? your fellow West Bayers know that you ARE a man of intergrity, educated, & you could lead this country into the future but you need to know that YOU and only you still have that kind of backing when it comes to the UDP, here is a chance for YOU to show us Caymanians that you are not a Mckeeva puppet and that you CAN re organize the DER, XXXX, 

    Rolston YOU are a NATURAL LEADER not a FOLLOWER, Lead your people from

    this tyranny before a revolution is ignited and our shore are stained for ever with what could have been prevented had someone stood up and served his country for "Love of Country" not the paycheck and perks as Mckeeva does….

    You know you CAN do this, We the People know you CAN do this,

    SO DO IT!!!!!

     

    • Anonymous says:

      I feel for you as I too had hope for this individual but must disagree vehemently with your screaming assessment that this minister is a natural leader. If that were the case why would he be "naturally" following The Premier and those you (and I) are so opposed to who are doing so much harm?

      Leadership is not natural, given or taken; it is earned by demonstrating that you are a leader. Before this minister can be identified as a "natural" leader, he must show that he is prepared to stand for what is right rather than to follow what he is being compelled to do (or say).

      We must bear in mind that the Minister is young and still has much potential. However, it will do him harm for us to stroke his ego by telling him he is what he is not. I value education as I know this minister should and I am confident that it will help him if he is prepared to consider that he must humble himself and BE a leader before he can be identified as one.

      • Ex-Caymanian & Not by Choice says:

        Please re-read my post!!!!  before you pick it to pieces and read it slowly to comprehend what i was saying, I voted form UDP and believe me if had knew then what iknow now I would have chopped both hands off, thats how fed up i am, and you are right he needs to show us as i stated that Mckeeva is not his puppetmaster, and take a stand for what is RIGHT & JUST, he could easily move to an INDEPENDANT, because right now there are no Allies in this Govt.

  5. Chris says:

    Contrary to popular belief successive governments have spent millions of dollars training hundreds of Caymanians over decades.

    Many of these graduates attended highly accredited institutions and graduated with top marks only to be told in various ways they are "not a good fit".  Dr. Astley McLaughlin, Mr. Kennedy Panton and Dr. Darley Solomon are three that immediately come to mind. There are many more.

    Others did courses they could manage and still became productive and respected citizens in the community.

    The reality is that the CIG needs to insist on real Immigration enforcement if they want a return on their investment.

    The fact is that 95% of all work permits are renewed.

    This means that there is a less than 5% chance of a Caymanian being successful when applying for a job held by an expat no matter what the qualification.

    With a 95% renwal rate the govt. fails to realise they are killing their cash flow by moving these people on to permenent residency and ultimately Caymanian Status.

    More importantly the CIG appears to be unaware that a more robust economy hinges on Caymanians achieving ownership of land and businesses. Caymanians who earn a higher salary spend and invest more in  the local economy. This is in comparison to the work permit holder or permanent resident who has a vested interest elsewhere and in most cases repatriates much of their earnings overseas.

    Sidelining and impoverishing existing Caymanians and focusing on making "new Caymanians" is only a short term recipe for long term disaster.

    The real solutions minister Anglin needs to implement are:

    1. Improving the private sector participation in educating and training the workforce.

    2. Ensuring there is no-nonsense immigration/labour enforcement. The six immigration enforcement officers employed to police 20,000 work permits and 5000 permanent residents is a joke and completely ineffective.

    We do not need a hand out Minister Anglin. We need you to help your people help themselves.

    While keeping the electorate dependent on politicians may appear to be politically expedient in the short term it is unsustainable in the long term.

    Until these these matters are resolved the Cayman people will have to be content with the crumbs, handouts, rising social services bills, rising legal aid bills, rising crime, lower economic activity and ultimately a failed state.

    Minister Anglin please do the right thing. The Caymanian people will thank you for it for generations to come. 

     

     

    • Anonymous says:

      Beautifully put! Thank you.

    • Anonymous says:

      Chris:

      The problem is [some] – Caymanians are useless employees. Want more money than they are worth, why work 5 days a week/i need Monday to recover, can’t take the sun (only "black" people like Jamaicans can do that/we caymanians need to be supervisors etc etc. Just ask Caymanian employers and they will tell you the truth in private.

  6. Anonymous says:

    What a joke?  Didn’t Rolston take a tour of the departments under his Ministry when he took over to gain an understanding of their roles & functions?  Didn’t he talk with the heads of each department under his control?  Didn’t he ask what problems they were encountering and what improvements they thought could be made?  Didn’t he provide them with some vision and direction?  If so, how can he now continue to blame PPM one year later for any failures?  If he did not do so, he again has no one to blame other than himself.  The UDP has and continues to be such BIG FAILURES.  They promised the sky, but has delivered old time "back houses" instead.  I am so fed up with their lack of leadership and blaming of the PPM for every problem they can’t solve (which happens to be just about every issue they have encountered since election).  They said they could, but alas they can’t.  Florence Nozza summed it up nicely.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Outsourcing DER to CML is definately a good idea, because the current state of that dept.is a mess.   You can’t even get a interview with the recruitment officers much less they find you a job.  

     

  8. Jenna Jameson says:

    Now, this is probably going to cause an uproar. But Minister Anglin is not a complete idiot. There, I said it. 

    I believe in being fair and ALL OF THE MINISTERS, former, current, Bayer, East Ender, Towna, participate in the school yard blame game. They all need to get over that. It’s embarrassing.

    However, it is admirable that the Minister is talking about the issues with the Labour Department. How is it possible that in the United States millions of people can get welfare and unemployment benefits, but we can’t find jobs for 900 Caymanians?

    If the Minister does go through with these renovations in the Labour Department we can only hope that there’s a real change in the community. Education and Labour are tough, difficult issues here. The is an undeniable link between them.

    Do we save Education and hope the next generation is employable? Or do we save the out of work people and hope that they save their kids who didn’t graduate?

    Instead of all this party rhetoric, why don’t we suggest real solutions? How about partnering with the Chamber of Commerce businesses so that there is a comprehensive list of jobs that need to be filled.

    How about teaching the John Gray kids job skills at school. I think its more than obvious that they need it. Instead of life skills class where they’re taught that sex is bad and God is good and foreigners are evil, why not teach them how to behave at work. That when you’re at work YOU HAVE TO WORK. Teach them how to answer a phone properly, how to write a letter, an email, to treat people with respect regardless of who they are and where they come from.

    XXXXX

    Jenna Jameson

    • Anonymous says:

      I don’t think anyone suggested that he was a complete idiot. Neither was the previous Minister. What we are suggesting is that Mr. Anglin should stop playing politics and get on the with the job at hand.

  9. why no work? says:

    What do you get when you change the boss of a department of "struggling, untrained, large skill gaped workers?

    Same circus, different clown.  But the same show.  Pay at the gate.

    Cayman civil Circus. 

    Udp? Ppm? Whats in a name?  How about calling all of them CCC?

  10. Anonymous says:

    "Mess" seems to be figuring quite frequently in anti-PPM commentary from the incoming government. Now, before you get ready to hit the "thumbs up" button, you PPM fanatics, you, might I say, in all reasonableness, that it is well earned.

    What a mess your shower of incompetents and numb-skulls left us in. Utter financial mismanagement from top to bottom. I swear, Kurt could throw a bank statement of his government’s overspending off of the Bluff, and it would still make an almighty thump as the unrolled pages hit the drink! And I’m not a UDP supporter. No, honestly. I’d vote PPM in a flash if I thought the leadership was worth anything, but it isn’t. You PPM fanatics have got a dying tree, so start cutting off the dead wood if you want to regain power with my vote.

     
    • Anonymous says:

      Nice try UDP fanatic. Since your post did not address the obvious failings of the present govt. but instead pursued the standard UDP tactic of trying to deflect blame with claims of "the mess" they’ve inherited from the PPM you could only be UDP. Why focus on cursing someone who has been out of office for 13 months unless it is partisan?

  11. vocal local says:

    Blaming and dept. name changes will not help!…

  12. Anonymous says:

    "Long term prospects of Caymanians?"… you mean the prospects of expatriates who will have become Caymanians, cos sure as hell the prospectsof existing Caymanians have  been dire for years and it is getting worse. When was someone last arrested and charged for lying to an immigration board to get a permit for an expat – and yet it happens all the time? Rollie – it is all words and no action. Come nah?

    • Anonymous says:

      What about a Caymanian lying to the Immigration Board being arrested? Or I am to suppose none do?

       

      • Anonymous says:

        Sure they do – including some of the newer ones in my experience. XXXX It is what decent hard working Caymanians  have been worried and warning about, but some expat interests have pushed the pendulum too far without considering the legitimate expectations of those who were here already,  the Caymanian people are on the verge of shouting ENOUGH!

        • Anonymous says:

          I suppose if we can justify all the crimes committed by the unemployed, we can justify "decent hard working Caymanians" lying to Immigration. Let me ask you this – Since when did we become such losers, blaming everyone, but ourselves for the problems we are in?

          True Caymanians believe in honesty, hard work, and are self confident. We are not afraid of expats. At one point we ourselves were expats. Indeed, we travelled the world and sent money home for our families. I’m saddened when I hear "we have nowhere to go". Our history, as seamen, prove otherwise. The fact is, with all kinds of people here, we have acheived much despite our size.  

          Any Caymanian who stoops to lying to Immigration, handing out favors, justifying wrong acts, and blaming others are really the betrayers of Cayman and our culture. You can shout all you want. There are doers and talkers in this world. Talkers rarely do.

          • Anonymous says:

            There was no attempt to justify Caymanians or anyone else lying to immigration. Everyone who does so should receive the same treatment.  The point being made is that what happened in East End yesterday is the sad realisation of fears as to what would ultimately happen if no one enforced the laws of Cayman – which were carefully designed to ensure an appropriate balance.

  13. Dexter Rivers says:

    Let’s be honest Rollie, you have been there 13 months now and all you have done is to find things to blame on the PPM. What a bout some leadership and direction? When are you going to set your objectives? Next election? You were elected when 4000 people were unemployed, now there are 9000 and al you can do is find some bull to blame on the PPM. Please pul your finger out, shut your mouth and do something. You are worse than that XXXX that your are following.

    • Anonymous says:

      Certainly agree about the "XXXX" bit. Now, in all truthfulness, and on the kindest of days, so to speak, he was a complete waste of space, who seemed more concerned about self-glorification than anything remotely beneficial to the Caymanian people. I recall his use of the word "excited" quite a bit. Utterly stupid. Please, Rolston, drop it. Yes, we know you’ve inherited some of the insane appointments made by your predecessor, but please, no more "excited" stuff. We’re – most of us at least – way beyond the "excited" phase of our lives, so let’s stick to the grownup language, please? Thank you.

       

  14. Beachboi says:

    WOW the blame is being deflected by the UDP like lasers off a disco ball!!!!  I see Rolston’s lips moving but I hear McKeewa speaking!!  It is a realy shame that Rolston has sold his integrity out to such a……..  I wont say it because it wont get printed.

    C’mon Rolston just because you are UDP doesnt mean that you have to tow the line.  Stand up and denounce them if need be and become independent!!!  Do something or we will just assume that McKeewa will always be your puppeteer!!

  15. Florence Goring-Nozza says:

     

    Dear Mr.Rolston Anglin,

    Miniser of Education

    I think the people have had enough of this "wining". Last election the PPM was ousted because the masses complained that they wanted "Change" that they can believe in.  Do you really think that they believe your complaints and wining daily about what the PPM didn’t do and what the PPM did do? Think again!  If an individual is hired to do a job and  the job does not get done its only one of two reasons or both.

    1. He or she is too lazy.

    2. Or the candidate is just not capable of performing.

    The ultimate resolution to that problem is always the option of getting fired or have enough dignity to "Resign"

    It is said if you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.

    I don’t think you need to quit, I believe it it time for you to show the voters and the PPM that you are who you say you are. An educated, elected cabinet Minister holding the portfolio of Education, and therefore you will perform in the face of it all.

    You never showed an interest to address the voters to whom you are acountable, on the issue surrounding the 65  students who did not graduate.  

    You smoked the topic out with a review of the building and contracting process which was not even called for in the face of another more pressiing issue.

    Now, your’e complaining about what the PPM did not do, and the mess they made. We hired you to clean up the mess, occupy that same office, change the old system of the way things are done, and show off your professional skills which the UDP claim are superior to those ousted,  so now is your chance to let the people know that you are ‘THE MAN" for the job.

    Come on Mr. Anglin, don’t give us the impression that you can’t do your job, just simjply "PERFORM"!

    • anonymous says:

      You are so right, again !

      Its time for performance, one year in the job is time enough to prove what you know to make things better.

      I second this motion.

    • NATIVE VOICES says:

      Wow, this ‘letter’ needs to somehow be read by Rolston so that if he has ANY shame and INTEGRITY, it might just surface to cause some positive reaction.

      CNS, can you ENSURE this post and many others that hits him straight on, gets to Rolston somehow?

      We ‘The People’ would be HIGHLY appreciative if done.

      While I am at it, I would like to express many thanks to Wendy and all of CNS for all your hard work and dedication to telling it just like it needs to be told. And yeh, we know that McKeewa HATES "the Media"(that’s CNS he is referring to), but let US ALL be that UNSTOPPABLE FORCE for him to reckon with.

      Thanks again CNS.

      • Anonymous says:

        Typical.

        Oh please, oh please, Wendy go and do what I’m too freaking lazy to do.  Fight my fights.  Win my battles.  Let me know how it all turns out.

         

      • Ex Caymanian & Not byChoice says:

        I second your post and in addition to your comment I would like to sat that Nikki & Wendy are the kind of Nominees that should be awarded Honour Medals for their courage to ensure that a tyrant is made to know that the People of his Country WILL STAND UP AND BE COUNTED they are very brave WOMEN.

        Wendy & Nikki Thank You from all of us here on CNS for allowing us to "Communicate" with our Politicians and the rest of the WORLD to expose the atrocities that we are facing in our country…..

        May GOD continue to bless you both in everything that you endeavour…

        CNS bloggers when it comes to nomiating Heros for these "National Awards" WENDY & NIKKI are at the top of the list.

  16. FUZZY says:

    This is a classic example of a political group trying to manage the news.The present administration has been taking so much heat recently due to such things as the hike in fuel duty and their North Sound Destruction Plan that they are using this in an attempt to change the subject.Nice try Rollie.Maybe you should said that you regretted your vote for the duty hike and would try to get your leader to reconsider!

    • Anonymous says:

      Mr Anglin I hope that you are considering trying to work with some of our Youth that has gotten in simple trouble such as ganja. If they has spent some time for the offence and is out and trying to do their best to keep away from their old habits then they should be given jobs, so as to help them on their way. We employ people from abroad that has been involved with all sort of stuff and we dont even know it. I understand that certain people even have bought clearance. We have many Caymanian young men out there who cant get employment, please tell me what you think are going to happen to them shortly?

  17. anonymous says:

    Rolston is sounding so much like his mentor these days.  He has so much anger in him and has resorted to the blame game, just like McKeeva.  Have they ever for once admitted that they have done a lot of wrong, when they were in before and still doing a lot of wrong today?  the PPM were only in for 4 years before them and they were in 8 years prior and all of a sudden the problems we are facing today should all be blamed on PPM.  UDP over the years had no desire to tackle education, schools, constitution, Government building and fighting crime all they were studying was to line the rich man pockets and to hell with the infastructure and advancements.  Since PPM did and attempted to start the modernization processes all of a sudden they have done wrong to these Islands.  The reason why these processes were put in place was to control the out of order McKeeva and the UDP upstarts. PPM please do not hang your heads low, you guys did a wonderful job while you were in for such a short time and its a pity you were not elected in to finish the job the way it should be done.  UDP is trying very hard to convenience people that everything you guys have done was wrong and everything they are doing is right.  The people know better.  Just look at that picture and look at the anger coming out of that young man. It is just so sad because I thought he had great potential.

  18. Anonymous says:

    Actually it  sounds like yet another failure of the civil service.

  19. Ex-Caymanian & Not by Choice says:

    Of course action will happen in this dept now, McKeeva has vowed to "sort out his Jcan’s" so all those Nannies/Helpers can get "Real Jobs" now and Caymanians whoa! behold you are gonna feel his wrath now, he is gonna show unna what time of dayit is, if unna think he remember where he came from Ha!  he running wid the big boys now and the Jcans will keep him in the Premiership as long as he keeps his end of the "Deal" and when ya look we will be Independant and "dog eat ya supper then!!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      Really! did jamaicans cause DER to fail?  Its time for this country to sort their problems out and stop blaming  Jamaicans. Is it only Jamaican helpers her that can become caymanian? what about all the other nationalites that got status without even being on Island at the time? do some real research into what’s really causing the problem. Please donot write if you have nothing constructive to say.   This only showshow small and petty you think. whats the nationalties of the staff of DER?

  20. Anonymous says:

    Lets change the name of the UDP to UBP. That way it could mean U Blame People!  Every problem of the country is the fault of someone else! Gosh this is getting more than ridiculous!

  21. Anonymous says:

    STOP BLAMING OTHER PEOPLE AND GET ON WITH THE WORK!

    We no longer want to hear "look at me see what I am doing"

     

  22. Dred says:

    I am wondering if this has anything to do with teh fact that he is a "Tibbetts".

  23. Anonymous says:

    Renaming a department with some "politically correct" title won’t help the UDP sort out this mess. Serious decision making is required to correct ALL of the incompetence of the past Govts.’s inadequacies.  

    With all due respect to the new Minister, changing the departments (I also refer to the Education Dept.) so that you can say you that the PPM did everything wrong-and this certainly is not the case with the Education Dept. as demonstrated by the recent Public Schools results (61 Year 6 Stundents with at least seven passes and many with 9 & 10 passes), will not help this Govt. or the Depts. it oversees as the UDP is totally out of control as is it’s leader. Only a Providential God can help us now!

     

  24. Anonymous says:

    CML Recruitment will be the new DER, I heard the same thing, let me guess who will lose in all this

    • Anonymous says:

      Isn’t CML Caymanian owned? Isn’t this a good thing? Or can we never be satisfied? You know, as Caymanians, we should be ashamed of dishonesty and corruption. Why do we fight so hard for those to remain.

  25. Anonymous says:

     I understand that cml recruitment are now taking over the DER, it is outsourcing job placement of Caymanians to them, passing the buck, is this in the best interest of Caymanians?

    • As CEO of CML Offshore Recruitment, I am moved to respond to the comments posted in relation to CML and the Department of Employment Relations.

      Although we have in the past collaborated on projects aimed at improving job prospects for unemployed Caymanian, this has always been on a pro bono basis in support of the Department’s goals.  I am happy to assure CNS readers that any talk of an outsourcing contract for job placement services is, to the best of my knowledge, idle and subversive speculation.

      Furthermore, derision of the Department and its staff is grossly unfair.  In my experience DER staff are among the most conscientious and over-worked in the civil service.

       

  26. anonymous says:

    Rolston stop blaming people and get to work. YOu’ve been there one year now, what have you done for employment?  The same thing you did for the students not graduating?    "nothing!"

    Stop finding excuses, You’re getting paid far too much to be making any kind of excuse

    ‘DELIVER!"

    • BORN FREE says:

      Here we damn well go again! BLAMING OTHERS!
      The UDP has been the government for OVER one year & they are still blaming the PPM. It is all a pack of political lies, it is a game to the UDP, they are pathetic & shameless!
      You mean to tell me that it has taken this excuse of a minister ONE FULL YEAR to determine that DER is a mess & that it needed "shaking up"????? My great-great- grandmother thinks quicker than that (& she’s long gone RIP). This is getting really sickening & poor! Obviously this excuse of a minister is incapable of doing his job so he has, like his master the dictator, decided to take the easy way out & blame the former minister, even though he has not been in charge for OVER a year! What a sick joke! He is so pathetic & incapable of doing the job that he cannot shoulder the responsibility & blame. Poor thing. He, like the rest of the UDP, have to go, G-O! 
      They can blame whomever they want but it ain’t fooling the people. After one year the people of Cayman are crying. You cannot step 20 feet without hearing the complaints, even to the former die hard UDP supporters! The people are fed up, & the UDP’s blame game is only making it worse. What a bunch of cowards. It is really sad.  

  27. Anonymous says:

    The dysfunctionality in this department (foul language, immoral behavior etc) goes back beyond Lonny Tibbetts to the days of the previous director and previous UDP regime.

    • hmmm... says:

      Could you be more specific? Obviously not… because this site is made for persons like yourself that want to complain

      Look… you can’t ignore the facts. If the past administration are not to take some blame for this then who? The minister (rightly or wrongly) was obviously too caught up with improving education and building schools. If you want to defend the past administration then use some facts… not rhetoric.

      Under the previous Director and UDP administration the department started the Countries first Vocational program, improved the departments facilities, provided OSH training to their employees… These are facts

      Name one piece of labour legislation or policy change that the PPM has implemented to help Caymanians in the workforce? And try not to use the rollover policy because then you will just make yourself look bad.

      • Anonymous says:

        "Could you be more specific? Obviously not"

        Hmm: Yes I could but I doubt CNS will print it.If you have any knowledge of the situation, let me just say this (staff members of the Dept at the time will know EXACTLY what I’m talking about).

        XXXXXX

      • The Original Hmm... says:

        Sorry, but this comment was not sufficiently questioning of all and sundry for me to approve the use of my name.

        Viz.

        What was the country’s first vocational programme called, what did it entail, who took part in it, and what were the outcomes? — What is OSH training? Do you mean (OHS) occupational health and safety training? Again who took part, what were the results in terms of sites inspected and the response of employers and employees at those sites, what rationale if any was given for stopping the programme?

        I am not trying to refute your point but to establish the parameters of the information needed to evaluate your assessment. In my experience such knowledge such information if it exists in the public domain would be limited to a mention of the set up of the programmes, likely without much detail of their content, perhaps the names of the first successful batch of graduates and how useful they thought the course was.

        There is a central reason for this than usually supposed in discussions of government communications– and they apply regardless of who is in office. (Information is power and most public servants– in common with more than a few local private sector millionaires–  don’t like to let go of power. Perhaps because it hinders politicians from telling people what to think and allows customers/clients/the public to make their own decisions in an informed way.)

        Indeed I would argue that it is for this same reason that we don’t know too much about what Mr Tibbetts may have contributed during his brief tenure. (Brief mentions of an aggressive job placement programme and the "tipping" task force came up in a search of CFP.) Likewise we will likely learn very little that is not superficial about whatever programmes will next be put in place there. 

        With regards to some of the other comments on here:

        Confused as to how exactly this is a failure of the civil service, please explain in depth how the civil service failed here.

        Curious about how the various people with masters degrees in HR and such at the DER feel about being described as having a skills gap.

        Have a wonderful Wednesday.

    • Alovicious Bonner says:

      You are so darn right.

  28. Anonymous says:

    Sounds like an attempt by Rolston to deflect blame. It took him one year to find out that the Dept. is in "absolute mess"? It seems strange that we’ve have had to wait for a whole year and the hyperbolic language somehow does not ring quite true.