COMPLAINTS FROM North American hoteliers about Jamaican workers who they hire through the government's Overseas Employment Programme, appear to have forced the local authorities to introduce testing and training for the recruits.
Gresford Smith, senior director of industrial relations, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, confirmed yesterday that the ministry had received complaints from employers about some workers' deportment, interpersonal skills and general attitude on the job.
Mr. Smith was tight-lipped about the extent of the hoteliers' complaints. However, he said the ministry had introduced a training programme, through HEART/NTA which will focus on correcting the concerns.
"We wanted to ensure that the persons who are going up on the programme are suitable and will represent us properly there in terms of attitude, in terms of demeanour and dress," he said. The employees work at the hotels as cooks, gardeners, bartenders, waitresses and housekeepers.
An aptitude test was introduced earlier this month for prospective recruits to the programme. The roughly 2,000 successful applicants will now be moved into the training programme, which Mr. Smith said should be in place shortly.
In the past, persons who were selected for the programme, had to have prior exposure or employment in the hospitality industry. However, with the new testing and training requirements which have been introduced, persons who do not have such a background, would have an equal opportunity to get into the programme. The training will expose the recruit to the various skills areas required by the hotels.
"Now we have some persons who might not have that exposure so we are going to" (give them the opportunity), he said.
Last year it recorded a substaintial increase in recruits over 1998. The number jumped from 1,108 persons in 1998 to 2,462 last year, representing an 81.8 per cent increase. Mr. Smith said the ministry was projecting continued growth in the programme but declined to offer specifics.
The programme is usually dominated by women. Last year of the 2,462 recruits sent overseas, 1,735 or 70.5 per cent were women.
