Jamaica/Canada employment programme pumps J$1.7 b in economy -- Kellier

Tuesday, January 06, 2015 | 7:59 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica  – Remittance inflows from the Jamaica-Canada Employment Programme contributed Cdn$15.5 million (approximately $1.7 billion) to the Jamaican economy during 2014.

Minister of Agriculture, Labour and Social Security, Derrick Kellier, who made the disclosure, noted that the programme, a vital source of foreign exchange remittances, “continues to be a beacon of hope and opportunity for thousands of Jamaicans.”

Kellier was speaking at a send-off ceremony for the first batch of farm workers for 2015, under the Ministry’s Overseas Employment Programme, held at the Overseas Employment Services Centre in Kingston, today (January 6).

Hefurther noted that during 2014, approximately 7,952 Jamaicans benefitted from employment opportunities in Canada.

“The farm work component accounted for 90 per cent (7,156) of this number, while the others travelled under the low skill and skilled worker programmes,” he said.

A total of 340 workers, selected under the Canadian Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme departed the island today to take up employment opportunities on various farms in Ontario, Canada.

This batch of all males, most of whom will do eight-month stints, will be employed in greenhouse crop production, food processing, tobacco plants as well as nurseries which are involved in the cultivation of various vegetables. They will also be engaged in packaging tobacco and fruits for shipment.

The Minister noted that 20 per cent of the workers are new employees, while the remainder are ‘returnees’ or requested workers, noting that “this is a testament to the hard and dedicated work provided by Jamaican workers abroad.”

The Minister reminded the workers that the Overseas Employment Family Services Unit will continue to focus on the welfare of their families through a range of social interventions, including household visits, referrals for assistance, care for the sick and injured, care of children and self-empowerment programmes.

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Jamaica/Canada employment programme pumps J$1.7 b in economy -- Kellier

Kellier pins hope on overseas employment programme

THE country’s struggle with unemployment could, in another decade, be a thing of the past as the Ministry of Labour and Social Security steps up efforts to satisfy the global labour demand with qualified Jamaicans.

Labour and Social Security Minister Derrick Kellier yesterday made the pronouncement while responding to questions from the Jamaica Observer during a courtesy call by Caribbean Airlines Ltd at his downtown Kingston offices, where a partnership between the airline and the country’s overseas employment programme was highlighted.“That is my hope,” Kellier said when asked if unemployment — based on the work programme — would no longer be an issue in another 10 years.“That is really my hope and that is why the ministry is working so hard to get the labour market information so that we can prepare ourselves along with the people in the HEART Trust, in the Ministry of Education and other training agencies to prepare our people to [fill] jobs in the global marketplace. So whether it is in India, Pakistan, down in the [United Arab] Emirates… we can find people to send there.”The minister said that in Canada alone there are some 300,000 jobs to be filled in areas, ranging from fast-food restaurant workers to tax auditors, accountants and engineers.Between Canada and the United States, an average of 14,000 Jamaicans are hired on the Government’s farm work programme alone, which is 60 years running.Should Kellier’s dream become a reality, Jamaica could see a significant jump in remittances, which has for a long time been one of Jamaica’s main foreign exchange earners but which took a hit with the global economic meltdown a few years ago.Kellier told journalists at yesterday’s event that the “Government and the country” have benefited to the tune of billions of dollars from the overseas employment programme.The number of Jamaicans who are unemployed stands at roughly 200,000, which is about 14 per cent of the labour force. The average figure over the years has been 13.80 per cent, save for an all-time low of 9.80 per cent in 2007, according to figures on the website of the Planning Institute of Jamaica. The unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.Yesterday, Kellier said that his ministry is working to grow the overseas employment programme, saying that this year there is an expected 10 to 15 per cent increase in the number of Jamaicans who will gain employment in Canada.He said work has been done to broaden the scope of employment for Jamaicans in various sectors there, including heavy-duty trucking, heavy-duty mechanics and welders.“There are a lot of unemployed persons out there looking an opportunity and we are trying our best at the local level to get them involved,” Kellier said.He said the Government will, in the future, be seeking employment for Jamaicans in the Middle East, where there is also a growing demand for workers with certain skills set.Minister of Labour and Social Security Derrick Kellier (centre) greets veteran farm worker Vincent Taylor at the ministry’s downtown Kingston offices. Sharing in the occasion is Caribbean Airlines Ltd’s general manager Clive Forbes.Jamaicans selected for the overseas employment programme pay attention during a meeting at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security offices in downtown Kingston, yesterday.

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Kellier pins hope on overseas employment programme