Other CS experts sought to help NWDA

| 02/10/2013

(CNS): With unemployment mounting, the National Workforce Development Agency is clearly struggling to cope with its remit to register unemployed locals and match them to jobs, so human resourceprofessionals from across the civil service are being sought to help it out. According to the minutes from the deputy governor’s meeting with civil service heads, on 23 September, chief officers are being asked to identify HR experts that could be seconded to the agency to help audit and update its lists. With the imminent passage of changes to the immigration law and the planned regularization of around 1,500 Term Limit Exemption Permit holders, there could be a surge of people registering with the agency in the next few weeks.

However, according to the minutes, the current NWDA list of Caymanians seeking employment requires verification and updating.

“HR professionals within CIG are being sought to audit the list. CO’s were asked to identify staff within their agencies that could be seconded for a week to assist with this audit. This cross Ministry collaboration has the full support of the Deputy Governor,” the minutes record.

The NDWA has come in for significant criticism as the agency does not seem able to manage what many Caymanians believe should be the straight forward task of matching unemployed locals with vacancies registered with the agency and, in particular, those where a work permit is being sought.

The current government has promised a major review as the agency, which will be expected to take centre stage in the PPM government’s goal to tackle unemployment and ensure permits are not being given to employers when Caymanians are available.

Among other issues discussed at the 23 September public sector heads’ meeting, it was revealed that number of performance assessments completed in the service was steadily rising ahead of Monday’s deadline for all public sector workers to have been assessed. The minutes also revealed that the CS management discussed the importance of developing a five-year reform plan and agreed that a service-wide consultation process was necessary.

The COs discussed the contentious issue of the occupancy levels at the Government Accommodation Building and the need to improve the rate from its current level of 65% to 85%, which will maintain flexibility and facilitate optimal occupancy. The ministry and portfolio bosses were asked to identify agencies that were currently not located in the GAB, including their staff complement and office requirements.

See released minutes below.

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  1. Anonymously says:

    Great move congrats.

  2. Caymanian with a Job says:

    I was a highly qualified Caymanian with my Masters Degree in Business as well as many other certifications and I was passed over repeated ly when applying for jobs. I can't even count how many times I either didn't hear back from a business or I would get the "This is for a work permit renewal" speach. While I do admit that there are many Caymanians that aren't willing to work hard to get and keep a job. There are also many qualified and mootivated Caymanians who are passed over no matter how many times they apply for jobs that would be easy and pay a lot less than they're actually wanting. The hunt for a job is far from fair if you are a Caymanian.

  3. Anonymous says:

    The 24hour thing at the Labour Department needs to stop, if someone needs to file a complaint or get information they need it now, it should be a walk in service as opposed to thier new fill out a form and wait for someone to get back to you service. If you lose your job or have questions it seems that its quicker to call in rather than go in. Thats not customer service and leaves alot of room for curruption if you ask me as who knows how many people have to review your form before an officer contacts you so its highly possible that employer will know you went to labour board before you've even gotten a returned call from the labour board to answer your question and God forbid if its a complaint that you want to file because we all know what happens to caymanian who make enquiries about thier rights or file complaints at the labour department, if you werent fired before you will be fired after doing so. The entire new system at the Labour Board does not assist the general public, they need to address thier internal staffing issues and hire enough competent, willing and able officers to assist the public on a walk in basis. Tara Rivers needs to address this with Mario ASAP as I'm certain it's his dictatorial idea in the first place. Tara your Caymanian people are suffering and being forced to wait for even the simplest form of assistance by the departments that are supposed to be there to help us. 

    As for the NWDA, God bless the 1 or 2 officers there who actually do thier jobs well XXXX

  4. Anonymous says:

    "With unemployment mounting"? Really? How do you know it is mounting? What we do know is that the media is hyping it and everyone is in a frenzy over these 2,000-3,000 (depending on who is talking)"highly qualified" Caymanians that are out of work. As an active employer of as many Caymanians as we can get our hands on, I can tell you there are alot of jobs out there for even marginally qualified Caymaniains, as long as they show up to work, don't steal,  and show some initiative. Those Caymaniains are very hard to come by as everyone wants to hire them.  CNS…please stick to the facts regarding unemployment numbers.  

    • Anon says:

      During Ivan I washed hotel toilets with ocean water 7 days a week, help in the kitchen, change beds, serve food and run errands for the hotel in exchange for a room for my wife and I. 

      I am a professional accountant with some 20 years experience but willing to wash dishes for a living if going gets tough for my family.  A problem I have experienced here a number of times is that we have a lot of local dish washers who want accounting jobs when going gets tough. 

      I am not saying all unemployed are shooting for positions they are not qualified but there are certainly a good number who do.  

       It may be a cultural issue just like posting the north side homes for sale for unreasonably high prices hoping someone will buy them.

       

    • Anonymous says:

      You misrepresent what is being said no doubt for mischievous purposes. No one is saying that there are 2,000-3,000 "highly qualified Caymanians" that are unemployed. They are saying that the unemployed includes highly qualified Caymanians which is simply a fact. Clearly, while there are some 2,000 registered as unemployed with the Labour Dept. there are many more who have not bothered to register either because of pride or because they feel registration will not help them secure employment.

      What you write next is even more offensive – that most Caymanians don't show up to work or are thieves or don't show initiative (or presumably some combination of the three). It is a simple fact that there are some employers who prefer not to employ Caymanians for none of those reasons, e.g. employees here on work permits are more susceptible to exploitation.

      The ignorance reflected in your post is only helping to deepen the divide between expats and Caymanians. 

  5. Anonymous says:

    so again……. Cayman is a welfare state that must continue to handhold what should be capable adults.  If I was unemployed and knew I was qualified for SOMETHING, guess what? I wouldn't be bitching about it to my MLA, or any gov person…I'd APPLY MYSELF! Help me understand!!

  6. Anonymous says:

    The onus should be on the unemployed.  Stop benefits unless the unemployed are registered and/or update their personal data with nwda. 

    the list should be up to date in no time flat. 

  7. Bruce says:

    This is an excellent idea. Previosuly the Government would have spent a huge amount of $$$ to engage consultants to perform this function. Kudos to the DG and Chief Officers – there is a breath of fresh air blowing.

  8. Anonymous says:

    I hope someone will eventually tell us who the brilliant unemployed Caymanians are-names please so we can all judge for ourselves. I say this, because one spoke to me the other day and he is, sadly, a mental health case who blogs  constantly about his "degrees" but no one will employ him because he is…well … a mental health case and a very strange guy even to chat with, full  of threats about his supposed (or real?) gang related relatives who will "start trouble" if he "don't get a job soon". He's closely related to one of Cayman's most notorious criminals.

  9. Anonymous says:

    the mythology surrounding 'caymanian unemployment' continues…….zzzzzzzzzz

    • Anonymous says:

      To:Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/10/2013 – 17:30.                                  You still sleeping zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz? .Time to wake up man.

    • Anonymous says:

      I guess the mythology of world wide unemployment continues but dont worry our backs are against the wall soon come.

  10. Anonymous says:

    So realistically speaking thisdepartment has been mismanaged and is a waste of public money!!!! I say, sack the head of the unit but wait; this is the civil service so she will get a promotion!!! Heads need to roll on this one. On another note, my brother in law went to the labour office last week to get some generic information and was told he had to complete a form and wait 24 hours for someone to call him. He got the call 27 hours after and his question was answered in 3-4 minutes. Is this proper customer service????

    • Anonymous says:

      It may not be good customer service, but its not bad. The person he spoke to couldn't help (possibly bad) but took enough information, in an apparently standardized way, that someone was able to help (good) and though it was late (bad) there was a call back with the information needed (good).

    • Anonymous says:

      Better late then never.  Which is usually the case.  Caymanian customer service needs special attention for special kind of people who have never been taught true respect for themselves or others.