“JobsCayman” COMES TO THE BRAC

The Workforce Opportunities Residency Cayman (“WORC”) launched its new online platform, JobsCayman, on Cayman Brac on Monday, December 9th, 2019. The team of four was led by Ms. Renda Cornwall, Head of Customer Care, and included Ms. Priscilla Powery-Livingston, Employment Services Officer, Ms. Netty Wagner, Customer Care Manager, and Ms. Ericka Lynch, Customer Care Officer.

The event had two sessions. In the morning, job seekers were assisted with their registrations, and in the afternoon, Employers had their turn.

Nestled in the IT area of the Public Library, the event got underway promptly at 10 a.m. Team leader Ms. Cornwall explained, “the objective of this exercise is to provide a type of “white glove” hands-on assistance to as many job seekers and employers as possible with registering on the new portal, as this aligns with our vision of promoting full Caymanian Employment and economic prosperity for all through service excellence.” The Department of WORC was birthed as a result of the Premier’s vision of creating a structure that would better manage human capital and labour demands.

In respect as to how this new portal would benefit citizens, Mrs. Powery- Livingston replied:

“It will allow residents to log in and view their application's status; they will get feedback when not successful; they will be able to create their own resume through a resume template that is provided on the system; and as the portal is available online, they will have access to it from the comforts of their home or office. It will also help retirees to be placed, as well as be put on special projects.”

Ms. Cornwall explained that there would be a Phase 2 of this undertaking. It will emphasize the Work Permit aspect of this portal. Most important to this phase is that employers would have to provide reasons for Caymanians who were unsuccessful in the application process. Depending on the issues, an Employment Officer would intervene to assist the job seeker with any necessary training required to bridge skills gaps.

The first resident to attend was Drake Watson who shared that he was given expert and professional assistance in performing his registration. He was delighted with the entire procedure and said, “this was a great learning experience. It has made it easier for me to apply for a job. The system is great and user-friendly. The staff was very helpful and willing to assist when needed.”

Ms. Trudy Viers, Manager of the Cayman Brac Beach Resort was full of praise as well. “This is an excellent avenue for us employers. The service was highly professional and friendly. It will be a great tool for us and job seekers. Staff knowledge of the system and assistance was admirable.”

In summing up the day’s activities, Ms. Cornwall said, “The exercise today went very well. The Cayman Brac community was very receptive to this initiative. We were heartened to see several job seekers and employers come in to register. Two local staff members from District Administration’s office also came in to view the system and received some training at the same time. We are planning to return to the Brac early in the New Year to provide additional training to these staff members, in addition to visiting Little Cayman to promote a registration drive over there.