Minister calls for employment co-ordination
(CNS): The public and private sectors have to co-ordinate their efforts to help get young people into work or in training and further education, the minister with responsibility for education and labour said Friday. Speaking at the opening of the 13th annual Chamber Expo, Rolston Anglin said there was a need to ensure that the government was not using public money for programmes that could be better delivered by the private sector and that organisations were not doubling up on efforts created confusion for job seekers and young people looking for scholarships and training opportunities. With the unemployment rate among Caymanians at 10%, he said he hoped that forthcoming legislation and changes in the ministry would bear fruit before the next Expo in 2012.
For the last 13 years the Chamber of Commerce has hosted a jobs expo for young people about to leave high school, and despite the shortage of work this year, several local firms, government departments and educational institutions, including universities from overseas, attended to at least offer career advice and support to the country’s young people.
During his opening remarks the minister said both public and private sector had to work together to address the unemployment issue as government could not be all things to all people. He said there were still too many disconnects in the employment and training field and there wasroom for improving efficiency. “There is a need to spend public money wisely,” he added, as he spoke about the need to avoid duplicating efforts. “It is easy to talk about these things, but it is really about talent development and we need to collaborate better to make sure it happens,” Anglin said.
Draft legislation to create the human capital agency would soon be ready for public consultation, the minster revealed as he explained the new law will would formally divide the issue of employment, the development of talent and job placement from labour issues and compliance at the Department of Employment Relations.
He said there was a need for the country to create a workforce that was more relevant but he had concerns that too many young people were going into areas of study which would lead to a future oversupply. “We need to do a better job at career counselling and targeting scholarships,” the minister said, but he was not specific about the courses he felt were oversubscribed.
Anglin also told the expo audience it was important for the community to provide opportunities for those who have fallen through the cracks to retrain.
Over the next twelve months, the minister said, there would be many changes and developments which he hoped would come to fruition in the area of human capital, as he said the country had to be ready for when the economy rebounds.
Category: Business
Same crap
The unemployability problem was only in Rolston’ head no one else’s.There’s no credence to that humiliating comment. It is past and gone. This is a ‘new year.
He now is turning over a new leaf, and finally feels obligated to do something now as he inwardly is well aware that he was wrong for making such a damaging public statement in his comment regarding Caymanians employability He is finally trying to redeem himself by doing something and putting on the pressure.
Give him a chance.
We need to look to Immigration as well. There are a LOTof white collar degreed Caymanians still out of work. Start at the top please! Get us back to work and I assure you we will hire others. Who is really working with the top firms to get our top local talent back to work??? Please give me a name in Immigration, the ERD is only good for placing gardeners, not experienced business people.
The top banks, law firms, tourist, medical, govt firms etc….are still getting their work permit renewals without hiring degreed locals. I have been shortlisted every time for interviews…sometimes brought back for testing and second interviews with great reviews, my references are second to none, my community work is well noted…..and THEN I see Mr. expat driving by and my heart sinks again.
I have a BSBA (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration) with over five years of management experience. Thanks for all the interviews, but I still see the expats who have the SAME level of experience get their renewal and living expenses package for a fancy SMB property rental while my wife and I struggle to make our home mortgage. Yes, we actually invested in our education and lifestyle, but three more months of this and the bank (ironically that re-hired expats instead of giving me a chance) will own my home.
This is easy, first the parents have to stop indoctrinating into their children’s brain, that they being Caymanians will qualify them for a job. We are the generation of these people of today…we were taught all of the afore mentioned. Lets start with being humble and good mannered, being respectful, good attitude and good work ethics.
Parents, the world did’nt change …you did, you came away from how you were brought up, stop feeding your 30 year olds. stop giving them vidio games, your vehicles to drive, designers clothes, let them work for it, like we did in the past.
This will resolve the employability…trust me.
The author…a hard working Cayman Bracker.
I am so tired of hearing the same old crap everyone with halfa brain already knows about. Put forward some solutions, implement them, get moving. That’s what you are being paid for.
What a tosser!
Rolston, how does this resolve the "employability" problem that Cayman is presumed to have????