The Cayman Islands government has developed an online job interface that it hopes will link job-seekers with prospective employers.
The job database will allow the National Workforce Development Agency to provide information to the Immigration Department and relevant immigration-related boards that can be used to double-check whether any qualified Caymanians are available for a particular job.
“An employer will register a job with the [workforce agency] that will then vet the job description to ensure it is reasonable,” said Tasha Ebanks-Garcia, the deputy chief officer in the government Ministry of Employment. “The system will then identify job-seeking clients who broadly meet the requirements of the post and the employment services officer at the [workforce agency] will review the matches and, with permission from the job seeker, refer candidates that are reasonable for the post.”
Job-seekers can also view the available positions and refer themselves using the online system, Ms. Ebanks-Garcia said. Jobs posted with the National Workforce Development Agency run for 14 days and all referrals must be made in that time.
“The employer who registered the job will receive notification of matches and will be responsible for reviewing all candidates [to] determine their suitability,” Ms. Ebanks-Garcia said. “If the employer chooses to apply for a work permit, the Immigration Department and its boards will now be able to pull up the referral record and view the list of persons that were referred by the [workforce agency] or self-referred, the rationale for the referral and the reasons the company gave to explain why no suitable applicant was found.
“This will ensure that the Work Permit Board is aware of every person that was referred or self-referred and the employer’s rationale for why none of the persons were suitable.”
Individuals who will have access to the jobs posted and who can self-refer for jobs are Caymanians, individuals married to Caymanians, permanent residents with the right to work and legal and ordinary residents.
“What we have done is to develop an online system that ensures that the work permit process is transparent and holds employers accountable under the law while streamlining the process so that it is easy for employers to furnish the Immigration Department and its boards with the information required should they need to apply for work permits,” Employment Minister Tara Rivers said. “I encourage all employers to register their jobs through the NWDA and to support this process.”
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