Tuck your shirt in and come prepared says government ahead of jobs fair

Caymanians looking for a career in the tourism industry at the upcoming jobs fair have been told to “come prepared to compete” by government ministers.

Speaking on Radio Cayman’s ‘For The Record’ programme about the Tourism and Hospitality Open House event to be held next week at the Grand Cayman Marriott Resort, Deputy Premier Gary Rutty told job seekers, “Come prepared, pull your pants up, tuck your shirt in. This is your time to shine and show us that you’re serious.”

Appearing alongside Rutty was Minister for Caymanian Employment and Immigration Michael Myles, who echoed Rutty’s sentiments, telling job seekers that they needed to turn up on time and to interact with people once they were there.

Competing for jobs

“You’re not there to hang out … you come there for employment,” he said. “That’s what we want and we will back you. But quite often, people are coming in there simply just to hang out and hand out resumes … I need folks to come in there with the expectation they’re coming to compete for a job.”

He added, “The goal right now is making sure that Caymanians understand that we back them, but they have to step up and now do their part. I can’t help someone if they’re sitting in their room playing a video game and refuse to come out and participate within the sessions that we’re providing.”

Myles invited anyone who needed advice or help with their resume to contact his office ahead of next week’s event, which is being organised by the Ministry of Caymanian Employment and Immigration in partnership with the Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA) and Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman (WORC).

This event is open to Caymanians, permanent residents with the right to work, Caymanian status holders and Residency and Employment Rights Certificate holders. Organisers have allocated space for 450 job seekers to attend.

The two-day event will run on Monday, 8 Sept., and Tuesday, 9 Sept., from 9am to 3pm, and will provide participants with insights into career opportunities within the tourism and hospitality sector. Hotel companies including ONE GT and Grand Hyatt are expected to attend, as well as other tourism companies such as Red Sail Sports. 

Appearing on ‘For the Record’ alongside Rutty and Myles was CITA president Sharlene Brenkus, who said that she was pleased that the lines of communication with the new government were open and that conversations were being had, adding, “We’re not always necessarily going to agree, but the heart is in the right place. We are all looking to do the right thing.”

Internships

Brenkus also said that she was trying to move away from “the stigma that tourism is not interested in putting Caymanians first as it relates to job opportunities”.

“That is not the case,” she said, adding that there were internship programmes available at hotels such as the Kimpton, Indigo and Hampton by Hilton that were aimed at getting Caymanians interested in a career in hospitality. Brenkus said that CITA had also been invited to talk with the Ministry of Education about how to promote the tourism industry early on to Caymanians who were making choices about their education and future careers.

During the programme, Myles, who himself has worked in the hospitality industry, said that there was a reluctance among Caymanians to work in tourism due in part to not understanding how it wasn’t just working in hotels, but also in watersports, transport and other sectors under the tourism umbrella.

“There are so many different types of opportunities,” he said. “You don’t have to be a server within the industry. You can go into finance, into HR, IT, engineering, senior leaders, middle managers and supervisors.”

He added, “With 600-plus jobs coming online by the end of this year, our responsibility now is to ensure that Caymanians are put in a position where they can continue to be on the front lines of our tourism product.”

His department wasn’t just focusing on the tourism industry, he said.

“Our goal going forward for the next four years is going to be the push of diversifying all industries, from the tourism industry, to banking and finance and accounting and everything else,” he said.

“So we are reaching out to as many partners as possible, and I believe that tourism is now in a position where the government must start to not just throw money in terms of marketing, but also ensuring that our people are trained and are put in a position where they can lead the tourism market going forward.’’

During the jobs fair, Caymanian job seekers will be given the opportunity to connect directly with employers who are actively recruiting for various positions across the sector. People wishing to attend can register online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YNW68JN.