BAHAMAS: Labour on the Blocks — Bain and Grants Town

#Bahamas, January 15, 2018 – Nassau – On Saturday January 13, 2018, the Ministry of Labour and the Department of Labour launched the first of its Public Employment Services (PES) initiatives: “Labour on the Blocks”.  The initiative attracted over 400 Bain and Grants Town residents to the Sarah Ingraham Park at Hospital and Cambridge Lanes.

The new program was announced during the debate on the Speech from the Throne.  It was designed by the staff of the Public Employment Services Unit (PES) of the Department of Labour.  The aim is to utilize community parks to register jobseekers in the Department of Labour’s data base.  The Ministry of Labour is very pleased with the turnout, and that hundreds of  job seekers registered with the PES.  We are also pleased with the level of private sector participation.

I thank Baha Mar, Atlantis, Enviroscape and the Bahamas Technical Vocational Institute (BTVI) for their participation in the event.  BTVI was available to receive applications from those seeking to become students.   A number of jobseekers were hired on the spot on Saturday and will begin working this Monday.  This speaks to the effectiveness of this new initiative, which is providing hope and opportunity for jobseekers.

I applaud and thank Cecilia Strachan, Acting Permanent Secretary, Robert Farquharson, Director of Labour and Patrenda Russell-Brice, Deputy Director of Labour for leading and organizing this successful exercise.   The second initiative in this series by the Ministry of Labour will be held this coming Saturday, 20 January at the Kendal Isaacs Gym from 12 noon to 4:00 pm.  This event will be a Construction Job Fair.

The Construction Job Fair is designed for jobseekers in the construction industry to register with the PES Unit and at the same time be interviewed, and possibly hired, by over 20 major participating construction companies.

The Ministry of Labour intends to hosts monthly “Labour on the Blocks” events in communities in New Providence.   The initiative will be extended to Grand Bahama and to the Family Islands, including: Abaco, Eleuthera, Andros and Exuma.   Economic growth and job creation remain one of the leading priorities of the Government.

Stateement: Dion A. Foulkes, Minister of Labour

14 January, 2018

Photo captions:

Header: Department of Labour’s  officers registered over 350 Job Seekers and residents of Bain and Grants Town Constituency on Saturday at the Sarah Ingraham Park on  Hospital lane.

2nd Insert: Minister Dion Foulkes congratulates Don Rolle of Cambridge Lane, Bain Town, who secures a job on the spot at “Labour On the Blocks” event at Sarah Ingraham Park.

3rd Insert: Enrique Adderley is one of many who was successful in obtaining a job at the ” labour On the Blocks” initiative in Bain and Grants Town over the weekend.   Minister Foulkes congratulates him.

For more details on any of the January initiatives, please contact the Public Employment Services Unit at The Bahamas Department of Labour. 302-2550/2562