EDITOR, The Tribune.

I BEG your indulgence in allowing me to commend first of all, The Minister of Labour, Hon Dion Foulkes, and the Department of Labour for its initiative “Labour on The Blocks”, a job recruitment and registration drive which seeks to match job seekers with potential job opportunities.

We took the initiative many years ago in the Killarney constituency to develop a Job Assistance Programme, which has now evolved into four Job Seekers WhatsApp Groups, currently comprised of 864 members from various constituencies in the Bahamas including the Family Islands.

For many, the struggle to find jobs is real.

My plea is to the Business Community. It has always been easy to register job seekers but a lot more difficult to get the participation of employers in ventures like these. Statistics in some areas indicate that up to 80 percent of Job Openings are never Advertised! Most people are hired by word of mouth or recommendation. What this means, is that many qualified persons are never even given a chance to apply. The common complaint is “it’s who ‘ya’ know”.

On behalf of job seekers everywhere, I am requesting that every human resource manager/employer in The Bahamas, including every Government Department, go online and register with the Department of Labour, then post job openings as they become available. The Department of Labour has promised to not only match your openings to persons who are qualified but to vet them and offer a place away from your business to conduct your own interviews.

Both employers and employees can register online at: https://jobseekers.bahamas.gov.bs

If you own a business, please do your part to assist those in our community who only want a chance to make a decent living and have a better way of life.

BARBARA WILSON

Nassau,

January 9, 2018.