Workforce agency goes out to the people

| 02/03/2014

(CNS): With increasing complaints that local people simply cannot find work, despite there being more than 20,000 work-permits held by employers for foreign staff, the National Workforce Development Agency has begun an outreach programme. Facing considerable criticisms from people who use the for job placement unit, government is attempting to make the department fit for purpose and NWDA officials said the outreach was part of its goal to improve customer service to its clients in their job seeking efforts. An NWDA representative will now be stationed at district libraries on a monthly basis to help job seekers.

The agent will provide opportunities to register online with the NWDA, to search the online job portal and self-referring for jobs, assist with preparing resumes (CVs) and preparing for an interview.

For the first week of each month the NWDA representative will be at East End Library Branch on Mondays 10am to 1pm,  then Bodden Town Library on Wednesdays 2pm to 5pm, but as a result of Ash Wednesday this will be moved to 19 March for this month. In the second week of the month the agent will be at North Side Library on Monday 10am to 1pm and then West Bay Library on Wednesday 10am to 1pm.

For more information contact Dianne Connolly, Manager Training & Development dianne.conolly@gov.ky.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Category: Local News

About the Author ()

Comments (44)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. I'm A Caymanian says:

    Say that I’m taking up for the foreigners and going against my fellow family and friends of this country. But in all do respect I speak from my youth experience, my observation and from my perspective. From the looks of things I’ve seen a lot happening; the results of my people and how they struggle to “find” jobs. This article to me points out a wonderful issue and this gave me some thoughts as to why my people complain so much. Listen as far as I go I’ve seen where the term “Caymanians are lazy” has affected me at my job and I’ve seen where or HOW their attitude has also done the same. Which makes me ask the LOCAL public. Why if you so want the job of your dreams, you don’t work for it? Look locals you all need to woman/man UP if you so desire this ok? Judging from the comments I have read have shown and proven to me that locals are very complainy people. Instead of them trying to find a solution to the problem they fuss about it and make matters worse. LIKE for example schooling/education. It really annoys me that’s when you graduate from high school you believe that you are entitled to well deserved HIGH paying job. WAKE UP people in reality that does not go so. I have been to school and seen a lot of teens with big dreams about what they want to do! Yet the handful thathave these desires are mis-behaving in class, skipping school period, are found smoking weed and/or doing other drugs and/or are dropping out of school due to pregnancy other cases that I won’t mention. Now please don’t misunderstand me whereas, not all are similar or are displaying such role as to I have seen they have pushed themselves to make themselves somebody in society! After I am only speaking from my observation. I have also have encounters with graduates who simply say “I don’t want to go to college” or “I will take 1 or 2 years off from school then go back or find a job” etc. As far as I see it young people need to realize jobs don’t come to you on a silver plate. It’s either you work for it or you don’t get anything. Another example is Parenting which goes a long way, also it is what makes a child/teen who they are and determines their attitude towards their employers/employees. As my grandmother always said, “Manners will carry places where attitude won’t take you,” and in this I fully agree. Parenting on this island is a 50/50 chance of good and bad. But as I was growing up this is where I can say that back in the older times was the BEST days of the Cayman Islands history. Children I see today going and having kids are a prime example of rude behavior or wanting to be on their own at an early age or see it fit to follow their fellow peers to and I emphasize “RUIN” their life which leads to more suffering than before. Which indicates the ending result of children having children and THUS leading to the droping out of school which signifies lack of education due to having to stay home and take care of a baby which even makes it TWICE as hard to go looking for a proper job! No proper Education no proper job. Another example is having the proper attitude towards work. I’ve seen caymanians which are my age group have been given the best opportunities to do the job that they have been employed in and have been given that chance to prove they have what it takes to DO the job properly! Little to be notice I have seen many cases where they sit on their lazy and I do be blunt “ASSES” and don’t want to work BUT still want to get paid a big salary!! That’s is where the good is classified as the bad! Then later on they cry about how their employer is racist and/or just hated or didn’t like them because they are caymanians and that where their statements which I’ve heard found it hard to believe in certain cases! You can’t judge and not be judged is what I say. If you want to be treated fairly then do what you are assigned to do and maybe just maybe you and your employer will be on a good page. Give it a try! Also those who I think have degrees and have the capability to do the should also take this advise as I am still young and learning as a woman about the workforce. Let’s all try not taking advantage of our employers try working as TEAM both locals and the workforce. Who knows maybe changed will occur! As for those who have a JOB: 1) Be on time 2) call in for you are going to be late 3) be honest 4) be loyal 5) be appreciative of everyone no matter how hard it is 6) Be humble it works and 7) DON’T DRINK ON THE JOB!!! U looking for a major law suit dumbass……… :D! This is MY article as a Caymanian! Argue if you may but I’m just being FAIR and putting myself in the employers shoes. God Bless you all!

  2. Anonymous says:

    Can this group help those that want to change their present jobs as well? because i know several hard working caymanians who is being bullied at work and they dont know where to turn, cause the higher bosses liten to their supervisors and theydont ask hem thir sides of the ory

     

    So soething needs to be done about that too.

    • Anonymous says:

      Calling timber on that. Caymanians have a all the boards and compliance people to complain too, all we do is spend our time defending ourselves against bullshit complaints. Marl road is long here and full of hidden stones.

  3. Live Free.... says:

    I agree with what the NWDA is doing by going out to the people, but it would only help a bit with the unemployment. Sure a few Caymanians would get jobs, but can they hold them? I have seen caymanians getting various jobs, but don't seem they can hold on to them. Here's what I experience from some Caymanians, they come to work late, but when spoken to about it, they give off some bad attitude and walks off, What should the Company do? For It doesn't help the business, so they all become unemployed once again. Next obsevation, lazy. They approach work as if it was just giving to them to do, but they applied for the kind of job, but do it with an attitude best describe as unambitious, which doesn't help the business. One last observation, AWOL (Absent Without Leave) has been very common among some Caymanians, maybe they Party to much the night before and just don't show up the next day, and then the other day they call in sick and the list goes on and on, who fault it is when they become unemployed? I just hope people stop blaming businesses saying they don't want to hire Caymanian, for many of them have done so many times, but some Caymanians just have bad work ethics, and the bad part is, they carry it with them to every job they do, and don't apply themselves to their job. So In a Nutshell, Caymanians are they own fault for being unemployed, and not the expatriates in which they love to blame, as an excuse for their Laziness, lack of work ethics and failing to apply themselves.

     

    Live Free….

    • Jonas Dwyer says:

      18:48 you are judging all Caymanians by "Some Caymanians" . You need to check yourself. How many Caymanians are employed in the work place today that go to their jobs every day and perform at a high level, have you looked at that number. Your view of Caymanian workers sadly is skewered.

  4. Qualified says:

    Okay good start.  But what happens when a qualified Caymanian with excellent reference actually applies for a job?  Until we ENFORCE our own LAWS this is all just talk!!!

    Sorry, I've seen to many qualified Caymanians passed over for work permit renewals- white collar banks, law firms, and the big 4 should at least start succession planning for these middle management jobs!!

    • Anonymous says:

      Can anyone advise what legislation (Law) this government department functions under??

  5. Anonymous says:

    I know Dianne and she's the hardest worker in any company she works for.  I can't speak for anyone else from NWDA but she will help you be the best you can be and put the right foot forward to get the job.  If you don't keep the job you screwed up royally and didn't take her advice.

  6. Anonymous says:

    There's an online job portal?

    • Anonymous says:

      That online portal is not revelant to the Immigration department.

      Immigration is still l issuing work permits for intities to come in and take away business from the local builders.

  7. Anonymous says:

    the mythology of caymanian unemployment continues…..

    the first step should be to have an honest commentary by employers on their experiences of hiring caymanians……

    • Anonymous says:

      No. that just turns in to bashing. I mean 'an honest commentary by applicants/employees on their experiences'.

      What is needed is an honest, impartial, anonymous one-to-one review of those two comentaries. Where the third party can say 'Bob didn't get thecurrier job because he didn't have a driver's licence. Bill didn't hire Bob because he realised that as a Caymanian Bob would complain if his health insurance wasn't being paid. By the way we have reported Bill to the Health Insurance Commission.' And lets not forget the 'ageism', 'sexism' and other non-nationalistic isms that come up in this discussion in our rush to make it an anti-Caymanian thing.

      Only when we can compare both sides of the stories, which obviously can't be done in a public forum of anonymus bloggers, can we get to the facts of the issue. There are many problems, but its not all one-sided.

    • Anonymous says:

      Excuse me but…..is this not Cayman and Caymanians should have the rights to their country?  Or was there an invasion that we are not unaware of? People like you make me vomit! 

    • Anonymous says:

      Unemployment is a two prong situation in these Islands.

      No one is focussing on the construction Industry, where the Immigration department is on a daily basis, issuing work permits for foreign intities to come in and take away jobs from the local builders. They are timely shutting them down.

      These guys are more than qualified and experienced. They have  been  building this country for the past 40 years. Tell me what is the problem here??

  8. Anonymous says:

    My stomach always turn and ache when I read things like this.  Write resume and fill out applications.  What a lame approach.  Have your department ever take the time to interview any of these applicants that you assisted to write a resume? Let me tell you this from a business prospective. These applicants are straight out not qualified. Just think NDWA.  You do not need to teach or fill out a resume for a applicant who is already qualified.  Therefore, you do not need to set up this training exercise.  As  expressed from one of our writers above, who states that our people need training.  Use these funds to start some form of trade school and get our people equipped so that they can fill out their resumes and have the SKILLS to support it.  Why will you want to assist somebody to fill out a resume, with no skills or no education?  TRADE SCHOOLS, TRADE SCHOOLS, TRADE SCHOOLS OR TERTIARY EDUCATION, TERTIARY EDUCATION IS  the solution.  NOT assisting someone to fill out a resume.  

  9. Anonymous says:

    As long as the existing labor and employment laws are not enforced and businesses continue to get away with abusing their work permit holders by circumventing the laws, nothing will ever change! Just check out what is going on in those mom and pop construction businesses………….

    • Anonymous says:

      Those mom and pop construction businesses you speak of, does not truely represent the caymanian builders.

      Remember, Government has no regulation in place. 

      So every tom,Dick, Harry and Jane are running around calling themselves builders.

      The guinuin builders have been building this country for the last 40 years  without abusing or circumventing the laws.

      These same local contractors are being pushed out by these cowboys. Are you one of them??

  10. Anonymous says:

    There is no Caymanian unemployment problem to solve.

  11. Foreign Devil says:

    NWDA has been a good provider of jobs for people  who work at the NWDA .

  12. Anonymous says:

    Caymanians will never be able to compete with indentured slaves in the job market.

     

    The indentured slaves from third world countries are desperate and will endure low wages, theft of pension deductions, theft of health insurance deductions, and long unpaid hours.

     

    Caymanians would never put up with that kind of abuse; therefore they remain unemployed.

     

    The enemy of the Cayman working class is the Cayman ruling class.

    • Anonymous says:

      While your comment may in fact be true when it comes to a portion of the working expat population, it most certainly is not true of another portion. I think that it is interesting that currently there are news stories regarding efforts to legislate a minimum wage. Surely that would level the playing field somewhat and provide a working wage closer to what Caymanians will "endure". Too bad that the law is having trouble getting agreement amongst the politicians. 

      However, I don't quite understand the logic you are suggesting. So, the wages are too low for Caymanians to accept and so they would rather earn NO wage? I think that is a fundamental cultural problem that exists. It has been my direct experience that many people feel that certain work and wages are beneath them and so NO wage is better. I'm sorry if this is offensive but that is just plain dumb. At various times in my life, despite being university educated, I have needed basic jobs to get me through. I have taken work as a roofer, furniture installer, berry picker, you name it. If I need work and income, I'm not too fussy about what it is and nothing is beneath my dignity (because unemployment is less digified than low pay employment to me). 

      The fact of the matter is that yes, many people in a competitive, global labour market are willing to work for low wages and it makes things tough. Instead of complaining about it, perhaps it would be better to take the low pay and work your way up to better pay?

      That brings me to another topic. Saying that people are unemployed because wages are too low is only an explanation for a very small fraction of the cases in my opinion. Again, in my direct experience trying to hire locals, it seems to me that the vast majority of the people I have encountered simply have no relevant skills or experience. I had one tell me in an interviewthat the best thing about his last boss is that he would drink beer with the staff on lunch breaks. So, this person wasn't hired not because the wages were too low or any other reason other than he seemed to think it was okay to drink alcohol while on lunch breaks and to discuss this in a job interview. So of course I'm about to get the question of how can Caymanians get work experience if they can't find work and the answer of course is: take the low paying job. Low pay is better than no pay because at least low pay can be listed on a resume while sitting at home doing nothing doesn't add to the portfolio.

       

      Btw – there are tons of high paying jobs available too but those require even more skills and experience and I would be willing to bet that many of the expats occupying those jobs started off low on the ladder and worked their way up. 

       

       

    • Anonymous says:

      Investigate the businesses, who refuse topay insurance and pension for their workers and if they make a report about the unfair salve trade, they are released.  So, some work under slavery conditions, in order to keep the slave job fr slave wages and no benefits.

      The Slave Lords are in the tourism industry.

  13. Anonymous says:

    I am so sick of hearing about the 20,000 work permits and caymanians can't find work.  It all fairness you gotta see what they send you when you advertise for the job.  People that can't hold down jobs for long, you put in a criteria and the the Employment Work Force sends you people without the experience you ask for, then god forbid you repremand them when needed, they file complaints….the people that want to work will work the ones that don't are the ones who think they can get a 5000 month salary with no work experience and no education.  They feel its their god forsaken right to obtain the job just because they are caymanian or have caymanian ties

    • You are so wrong! says:

      Wrong, wrong, wrong! There are far too many university degreed Caymanians that cannot break into their own industries (even with local and overseas experience and good reference letters!) until the rubber stamp of expat white collar permit renewals is STOPPED, how can we ask our own to step up- parents mortgage their homes to send kids away to university… Just to be told no work in your homeland.

      • Anonymous says:

        Would you please advise the number of individuals currently out of work in Cayman Islands with US, UK, Canadian or equivalent degrees and relevant work experience. I think it would be helpful to the debate. Thanks.

      • Anonymous says:

        Stupid parents for paying the costs of US education when they could have received a better education more cheaply in the UK. 

      • Anonymous says:

        10;16

        And don't forget the  experienced and qualified Caymanian  builders, that are being pushed aside, by the new foreigners…come lately.They are the ones pushing the locals aside.

      • Anonymous says:

        Explain to me why an employer would go to extreme of spending over 10 grand in permit fees to avoid hiring a Caymanian who was perfectly qualified with glowing reference letters?

        I have never understood this belief that all unemployed Caymanians are qualified but that employers prefer expats who cost a huge amount in work permit fees. 

        Why are employers prejudice?

      • Anonymous says:

        Having a degree is not enough..experience is needed. You get experience by starting low on the ladder, depsite your degree, and if you show signs of promise, that is good work, intelligence and attitude, you move up the ladder. That is how it is done. You do not get to be MD at day one and most people never make it to MD. Get used to it. Its the real world.

      • Anonymous says:

        Rubber stamp of expat white collar permit renewals?! You clearly don't work in an HR department. There is no rubber stamp. There are a series of hoops and jumps and backflips and changing rules depending on who you ask and forms and more forms and redone forms because they gave the wrong forms… but no rubber stamps I assure you.

         

         

    • Anonymous says:

      If you are so sick of hearing about our unemployed then it is time for you to return home.

      • Anonymous says:

        Or just pocket the money and socialise with expats.  Expats don't moan about non-existent local unemployment.

  14. Anonymous says:

    Seems as if Caymanian business owners don't want to hire their own kind. I am sure there are good reasons for this state of  affairs, especially considering work permit fees are so expensive.

    you will probably find most "employable" Caymanians are already hired. 

    For a company to be competitive in the market place, it needs to have the most competent and reliable staff available.

     

    • Foreign Devil says:

      Yes, you  write the facts

       

    • Anonymous says:

      What Caymanian Business Owner? Been a while since I have seen one of those.

    • Anonymous says:

      This is very true. At my workplace, I overhear HR trying to word permit applications differently so the job is suited for the WP applicant and ensures they get an approval. Immigration is useless! 

  15. Anonymous says:

    Are we suppose to believe that this Agency is really going to help Caymanians?  That's all a farce, it may work for the first 3-4 months, until they get lazy and drop the ball.  Then you will hear, "oh we don't have the funding to keep someone at the Library's anylong".  That's the usual bullcrap we get from the Govt.  They are too busy rolling out red carpets, and handing silver spoons to the expatriate community, using the money that they take from us by taxing the people of this country to furnish such for the expatriates.  Additionally, they even use our money to clear the paths in the Immigraiton Laws for the expatriate, but the Employment Law (2003) sits idle on a shelf collecting cobwebs which would protect our jobs and offer more benefits.  But that's how we elect people to the house, they lie to us in our faces using microphones to speak it loud and clear, and then when they get our vote because of their lies then they turn their backs on us.  Like that new talk show host person said on Saturday morning, the Premier is the one who needs an attitude adjustment, not his people, he needs to have a better attitude towards his Caymanians, or he will pay a very dear price come next elections.  The NWDA has too many ole bottom feeders in charge over there for this program to get anywhere, they do not have this country at heart, they do not care about Caymanians getting employment andthat's the end of it.  This will fall away like everything else that has to do with Caymanians.  I support Minister Rivers, but she is only one woman, too bad she got stuck with the worse ministry.

    • Anonymous says:

      Red carpet and Silver Spoons? Really? Sounds like an envy thing (envious of what, 8 filipinos in a two room apartment?) or maybe just too much paranoia.

      On the other hand, I understand we have a few Russians here, so you can always ask Putin to step in, defend those Russians interests from the nationalistic and facistic thugs here. That will do the trick, every time.

      Or you could get a severe dose of reality and realise that the education system generally (but not exclusively) is failing to provide what the work sector needs in terms of quality or attitude, the minor  "Iam entitled to work for lots of money and do nothing brigade" is just a step too far from the real world and in the real world people work their butts off to get anywhere. The small brigade referred to above cannot find work here nor would they anywhere..what does that say to you?  To me it says loudly and clearly, educational and parental failure to teach kids what the real world expects from them.

    • Teacher conference more important!? says:

      Tara has NOT been into the NWDA office and has no clue how to register a company or applicant.  Leadership takes involvement and understanding.  She has given neither to the NWDA.  Tara can keep listening to the bottom feeders and swallow what she is being told or dig her heels in and help make these changes herself.  Leadership via throne (or airplanes) won't work.  

  16. Anonymous says:

    THIS IS JUST ANOTHER LOAD OF B.S

    All that is happening here is TARA trying to appear to do something. Since she has been in that ministry she have manage to dodge two very critical votes, travel to the UK And rack up some charges on the tax payers, done absoutly nothing for education and make false promises. TARA has done nothing and continues to pile it up.

    Everything she talks about in education is systems already in place by past competent Minister ROLSTON ANGLIN, she haven’t a clue. She is like a fish out of water.

    ALDEN before you further ruin your party and government, reshuffle your cabinet and get rid of TARA.

    P.S don’t turn fool and put Winston there because they are all sheep in wolf clothing.

  17. Charm says:

    Writing resumes and filling out applications are only giving the people false hopes.  This exercise  do not make any sense when our people are not trained. Train our people, educate them, teach them to be polite and have the right attitude.  Once these measures are in place everything else will be as easy as cheese. 

    • Anonymous says:

      To train and eductae requires the participation of the student in their own education. So long as the parents and family don't encourage a lazy student, no amount of taking the horse to water will make it drink.

      Drop the "I am Caymanian you have to give me a job" attitude, and work to keep your job.

  18. Anonymous says:

    This has long been needed. Please ensure that this assistance continues. Don't give anyone an excuse to not seek assistance.

  19. Anonymous says:

    Really WoW!  what a fun subject and april fools isn't even here yet