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Ministry of Labour to expand Overseas Employment Programme in Canada

Published:Monday | November 20, 2017 | 12:00 AM
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From left: Colette Roberts-Risden, permanent secretary in the ministry of labour and social security; Bill Casey, Canadian member of parliament; Shahine Robinson, minister of labour and social security; and Beatrice Rhoden, adviser to the minister, pose for the camera.

More Jamaicans are expected to benefit from the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme (SAWP) in Canada, based on the strategic focus of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to facilitate job creation through the expansion of employment opportunities under its Overseas Employment Programme.

In a recent visit to Canada, Minister of Labour and Social Security Shahine Robinson met with Patricia Hajdu, Canadian minister of employment, work-force development and labour as well as Bill Casey, member of parliament for Nova Scotia. The objective of the visit was to discuss the strengthening and expansion of the programme for the mutual benefit of both countries.

Hajdu highlighted the importance of the programme for Jamaica and Canada in the meeting and expressed support for the programme to continue. In her meeting with Casey, the possibility of developing a training programme for new workers in conjunction with the Dalhousie University was discussed.

The ministry facilitates more than 9,000 Jamaicans in the SAWP annually, which has made a significant impact on the development of the Jamaican economy and has provided economic support for thousands of families since its inception in 1966.

Robinson met with Dr Audia Barnett, director, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, which is currently conducting research on the transfer of technology to Jamaica through workers who travel on the SAWP.