Government seeking holistic approach to job seekers
(CNS Business): The National Workforce Development Agency is looking to partner with other agencies for those clients looking for work who have needs above and beyond what the NWDA can offer, according to the Employment Minister Tara Rivers. For example, they will be working with the Department of Children and Family Services for those clients who may need assistance with the housing or other social issues, and the Health Service Authority for those people who may have mental health issues need counselling or other help to deal with those barriers.
“Taking that whole government approach to dealing with unemployment is the thrust for the government in the coming year and going forward,†Rivers told CNS Business. She said they recognize that the NWDA is the first point of contact for people looking for jobs but they do need to collaborate with these other agencies to address these barriers
This is why there has been a whole restructuring of the NWDA, making sure that the resources that are there are best aligned with the needs, She said, so the employment officers can focus on those clients who need additional support, while those who don’t will still be able to access the online job data base, interfacing directly with the employers and also signing up with whatever training they may wish to without necessarily going through an employment services officer.
Rives stressed that, as minister, she was not directly involved in the recruitment process for the additional staff at the NWDA because that is the domain of the civil service. However, she said that “the steer†which was given was to look for suitably qualified Caymanians to be given the first opportunity, but, she added, “obviously we’re looking to put the best qualified persons to do those jobs in those positions.â€
The qualifications of the staff at the NWDA are very much in line with the needs of the agency, the minister said. There are staff with master’s degrees in human resource management as well as a number of professional human resource positions. There are also staff members with master’s degrees in public policy, Rivers added.
Category: Employment, Local Business, Video
