Job agency says website troubles tackled

| 24/12/2014

(CNS): The NWDA has been wrestling with gremlins on its website which a spokesperson from the agency said had posed difficulties for its clients accessing their account or registering online. However, following enquires by CNS after many readers contacted us about the problems logging on, the agency said they believed it is now resolved but it took longer than anticipated to address the issues as a result of the limitations of the software and budget cuts. Having found the solution Dr Tasha Ebanks-Garcia told CNS that the NWDA website was taken down for a period on Tuesday to implement the solution but it is now back up and running efficiently she also said that the agency was working with the computer services department (CSD) to ensure it stays that way.

“CSD has tested the site and based on its findings the solution has worked and the site is running efficiently,” she said. “The CSD commits to itscontinued support of the NWDA and the clients it serves.”

The employment ministry’s deputy chief who has oversight of the government job agency said that the problems were down to incompatibility issues.

“A review made by that Department’s help desk found that there were incompatibility issues with Google Chrome and Firefox browser that were a result of upgrades to the operating system in both of these programmes,” Ebanks-Garcia said. “Based on CSD’s examination of the problem it was determined that these issues were due to limitations in the legacy software supporting the site. As a result of resource and budget constraints the complex process of installation, configuration and testing ofnew software to resolve the issue has taken longer than CSD would have liked,” she added.
 

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  1. Anonymous says:

    The website is not the problem.  The problem is that users of the site don't seem to want to take up all the different jobs that are always available.

  2. So what is Brian's plan? says:

    Okay NWDA:

    You hired a self employed "expert" from the states so what is the 2015 plan? Is anyone going to actually take local qualified CVs and compare them to the job ads?

    Is anyone going to actually compare the local's resumes with the Business Staffing Board?

    Is anyone at the NWDA goiing to finally work with enforcement and Immigration to match local applications with work permit renewals?

    Come on Brian, Tasha, and Tara Rivers!! it will take about (1) person to do this role and all you need to do is have some balls to deny a few work permits when a suitable and qualified local applies.

    For crying out loud, this is not rocket science (although there IS a rocket scientist who os married to a Caymanian and could not find work here for 2 years while expats all got jobs??)

    Just get ONE job czar, ONE email address that locals can send their CVs to when a matching job is advertised, and ONE single point of contact can SOLVE this WHOLE thing!!

    Brian, this is soooo simple- so let's see if you and Tara and Tasha can work this out and for god's sake- STOP issuing work permit waivers like candy at the Business Staffing Board.  It is so very transparent to all of us that your "manager" at the NWDA is not on the up-and-up.  Get rid of the career HR deadwood and implement 1 person to match qualified applications to advertisements!

    That ONE person can sit in the Immigration Board meetings and hold the local CV up when the work permit renewals are heard.

    End of problem and end of unemployment.

    You did NOT need a computer for that.  Just a law, some balls, and a little enforcement. We saw that a local kicked up a fuss for a law firm job recently and the qualified Caymanian GOT THE JOB! (well done, now make 2015 the year that this is the RULE, not the EXCEPTION!!!)

    Tara Rivers, Winston Connolly, Alva Suckoo- time to stop promising jobs and just match the local resumes you have on file with the jobs advertised.  You know who is qualified and you have the CVs on your desk already, so be our Elected Reps and put these decent CVS in front of your cronies on the Immigration Boards.  Eventually they will respect you for standing up for what you believe in.

  3. Anonymous says:

    I do not have much confidence in the NWDA, if this is how it's starting out. Seems like they're already lost.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Now that it s working,your next move should be to introduce trades in the schools from 2nd form. This way, the young people will be accustom to workng with their hands from a young age. This will also help you to select good candidates to send to prospectve employers.  As it is now, these people that turn up to work just stand around and look.  They do not try to get involved at no time. Just looking and expect to be paid. Sad, Sad indeed.   

    • Anonymous says:

      Mr Benson tried to get Caymanians interested in "trades" in the schools nearly 40 years ago-auto mechanics, woodwork, metalwork etc- but parents and high school students hated it. They wanted to be bank tellers ("bankers") when they left school, these dirty jobs were for Jamaicans. Is it any different attitude-wise now? Yes, it is worse.

  5. Anonymous says:

    What about the ones who are qualified, have worked …. hard too and still can't find jobs?

    • Anonymous says:

      Sorry, your Premier has discarded them in favor of a few hundred dollarsin permit fees.

    • Anonymous says:

      They can go and play in the fantasy character corner with the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus.

      • Cayman IT expert unemployed and qualified says:

        Seriously, no tooth fairy or santa claus:  There ARE highly educated and qualified locals with top certifications being passed over for work permit renewals daily. 

        Just ask any Caymanian in the IT field and they will tell you about 1/2 dozen very clever computer geeks that all have OVERSEAS certifications, great experience, are out of work and looking! 

        This is one field that should NOT have local unemployment.  The simple and irrefutable fact is that these MS, ITIL, Security, Storage… certificates are difficult to achieve and the TIME it takes to pass these exams is considerable. 

        There are many MCSE engineeers, system architects, PMPs, SQL technicians, and software developers with the EXPERIENCE and impeccable references that are being passed over by the recruiters, the NWDA, and worse off- our own Immigration Boards.

        Just as a CPA must pass exams to be a certain level of an Accountant, our IT experts have taken and passed the exams, but are OUT OF WORK as the rubber stamps continue for work permits.  Civil Service has NO succession planning and the Govt computer services is riddled with expat contracts too!  We tell our young college grads that technology is the wave of the future, butthen we do not allow them to practice their technology trade???

        I know 3 very talented IT gentlemen that are only out of work due to downsizing, but cannot find new positions.  Explain that?!? (not a fantasy, but a sad reality.)

        • Anonymous says:

          Don't look at me.  We outsourced all our IT onshore long ago when the government interfered with the retention staff with experience in our system.  So if you want to see departments go from many people to 1 junior person keep up with the silly present system. 

        • Anonymous says:

          Have they actually applied for the current IT jobs that I see in the Compass?

        • Mo Money says:

          The worst part is the Government play the same game when it comes to their IT hires just look at the NWDA IT guy where is he/she from I also know of other departments having IT postitions and nothireing Caymanians but re-advertising the position once a suitable expat was found. So why should the private sector be any different. Time for Government to lead by example…

           

           

  6. Anonymous says:

    About time! SMH …

  7. Anonymous says:

    And are we suppose to get jobs from this cosmectic?  We are hungry and gettng very angry.

     

    • Anonymous says:

      Then eat, stop moaning, calm down and take one of the many available jobs.  Just don't take one involving writing since your English skills are those of a 9 year old.

  8. Anonymous says:

    How nice blame the computer as opposed to the worthless staff trying to force unemployable people into employment and killing us business people trying to achieve your goals

    As i have stated before start training your children to work from an early age

    that said i just hired a very nice well spoken young man and except for being polite he has no skills.

     He has not done a day of work in his life. His hands do not work.

    He and his father admit he has not done one day of work ever.

    Very Sad 

    • Anonymous says:

      Very sad, indeed.

      To blame the educational system is not good enough…

      How do we educate children who are not motivated by family values and an intrinsic work ethic to want to be productive members of a society?

      What ever happened to the standards of behaviour exhibited by past generations of Caymanians who went to sea when there was no gainful employment here?  Or who started their own businesses from scratch in hardscrabble times?  Or who went afar for turtling and fishing when these were "the islands that time forgot?"

      When the populace aspires only to get free handouts or worse yet, a worthless government "job" of no value to the society, there can be no progress.   And to parody those in government who think every expense is reimbursable at the public trough is the height of folly.

      Why are we not extolling the virtues of the really productive Caymanians (and even ex-pats) whose drive, determination, creativity and effort have resulted in such successful business endeavors here?   Those who sweat and toiled over the past 50+ years to build the current business infrastructure will be the first to agree that There is more opportunity today in Cayman than at any time in the past.  Believe in yourselves, the ability to work, and the future will be yours.

      i only wish I were fifty, or even thirty years younger to be able to take on the challenge of being a more integral part of the future development of Cayman!

    • Anonymous says:

      15;20

      This is extremely sad…it 's called entitlement, the Caymanian parents are to blame for their offsprings

      • Anonymous says:

        Is it any wonder when even the poorest of families often have "helpers".  Kids here learn from an early age to not be task orientated, to abrogate responsibility to others and that even mediocre degrees, or indeed a defree is a password to success in Cayman.  My own "driftwood" child has displayed such entitlement even though in our home we encourafe self reliance, and a strong work ethic .  

    • Anonymous says:

      So my new worker in his first week of relaxing made $350 But after the weekend he decided to show up at 11 today (tuesday)and by 1230 he was at tortuga getting a snack this was after chips and grape soda at 11.30

      he and another young man  managed to do about 1:45 min. of work by 4 pm

      I have just about had enough should i only pay them for 2 hours of work or should i just fire both of them?

      I dont think its very fair to my family that i should put upwith the sh*t workers you have raised and expect me to hire.

      I think my new years resolution should be to just fire everyone for any reason

       NO MORE MR NICE GUY

       

      • Anonymous says:

        You just have to view filling your minimum quota as a cost of doing business in Cayman.

    • Anon says:

      Maybe there is hope for him yet, if he has the right attitude. 

  9. Anonymous says:

    Took them long enough. Nothing was done untili CNS contacted them. Shame on them!!

  10. Anonymous says:

    Good. Now, can it please stop sending people who are manifestly incapable of holding down employment to employers and properly vet people. Too often NWDA candidates do not even show up for interviews.

    • Anonymous says:

      Sounds like a  description of a lot of those sitting in thr LA

    • That is not true says:

      That is not true.  My firm needed extra help before the holidays with some admin tasks and I called the NWDA.  They sent over someone within 2 hours and we were very impressed.  It is only part time, but we are hiring the young lady in the New Year.

      Give the workers a chance!  945-3114 NWDA

      We can either pay them now or pay for social services. 

       

       

      • Anonymous says:

        I said too often, not always. I am delighted it worked for you. If there are more stories like yours we can have more confidence.