Labour Department to Collab with Jamaica

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, September 2, 2022 – The Labour Department is now looking to collaborate with Jamaica’s Labour Department to create their Labour Market Information System.  The partnership was the product of a recent meeting between The Permanent Secretary of Labour, Labor Commissioner Edwin Taylor, and Labour officials in Jamaica according to Education Minister Rachel Taylor.

Minister Taylor described  the Jamaican system as very advanced.

“Jamaica has a very advanced labor market information system that is well developed to support the placement of their citizens into the world of work.” she said,

Minister Taylor also noted that the system:

•  allowed for greater  partnership between private and public sector by acting as a portal to link employers and graduates
• advertised jobs directly through the system matching up qualified individuals with jobs
• created a unique ID profile for each user

She said these features would be an extreme help to the recruitment process in the Turks and Caicos.

“In designing our system, we can ensure that we capture more workforce data that can aid in the cabinet decisions, as well as planning educational strategies to match the needs of our economy.” Taylor explained.

The minister mentioned again the “government’s goal to put Turks and Caicos Islanders in key senior positions, so that Turks and Caicos Islanders can truly benefit from the growth and development of the country.”

The government had announced their intention to create the $300,000 Labour Market Information System earlier this year with the launch of the Turks and Caicos Internship and Apprenticeship Program.  The aim of the system is to provide real time employment information for companies on the islands.  Students would receive a passport-like document showing all of their work experience, and businesses would be able to have direct access to those records through the new system

A TCI delegation also traveled to the Cayman Islands to observe their own system to advise implementation in the TCI earlier this year.