Labour ministry launches national skills bank
Published:Wednesday | January 12, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Howard Campbell, Business Writer
Canada, long a fertile region for Jamaican workers, is expected to be a key market for the new-look Labour Market Information System (LMIS) of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
First launched in January 2002 as a data and information service for job seekers, the LMIS was relaunched yesterday at the ministry's North Street office with the addition of a skills bank on its website.
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles, told Wednesday Business that the skills category is geared toward unemployed graduates and professionals.
He gave examples why Canada is tailor-made for these groups.
"The Canadian population is retiring at 60, so a 60-year-old who is projected to live another 24 years needs caregivers," Charles said.
"They are also not changing their cars as often so they want more body men."
Canada has provided employment for hundreds of Jamaicans involved in the farm work programme for many years. More recently, the demand for overseas workers in that country has diversified.
Jamaican workers have been involved in major construction projects in British Columbia, a western province that has experienced a construction boom in the past 10 years.
Charles said he is anticipating enthusiastic responses from persons recently out of high school or university.
"We expect a mass of postings from graduates out there who are unemployed," he said. "We have thousands of them out there with five or six CXCs and we expect to see many of them on the website."
Interested parties in the LMIS skills section are required to post their qualifications, as well as accomplishments and references.
The LMIS was launched eight years ago with assistance from the United States Department of Labour. Its primary objective is to help find employment for workers.
Within one year, the labour ministry reported that it attracted over 4,000 job seekers with over 300 persons being employed. Yesterday, ministry officials said just over 15,000 persons had registered with the LMIS.
Approximately 4,000 persons have been employed as accountants, domestic helpers, drivers and secretaries.