TYSON-HUTCHINSON. the Overseas Employment Programme is poised to grow

Even though the Overseas Employment Programme generated millions of dollars for the Jamaican economy and provided 14,000 jobs last year, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security still believes that the programme has even greater potential to impact positively on the lives of Jamaicans.

In an effort to create even more overseas jobs for Jamaicans in the hotel and farming sectors, the ministry will, as of August 1, have two liaison officers stationed in the USA.
Clayton Solomon, formerly the administrative director of Insports, and Debbie Tyson-Hutchinson, public relations manager at the labour ministry, were both selected as the officers who will work abroad.

According to Tyson-Hutchinson, it will be their job to ensue that there are "harmonious relations between the employers of West Indian labour and the labourers themselves".

SOLOMON. one of two liaison officers stationed in the USA

"So in terms of the farm work programmes of Canada and United States and the hotel programme, it is hoped that the liaison officer will ensure that the needs of the employers are met, but at the same time ensuring that the needs of the West Indian workers are also protected," she explained.

Based on Tyson-Hutchinson's figures, 40 per cent of the jobs created through the programme last year were located in Canada.

"We had about 5,650 jobs created in Canada alone from the farm work programme while we had another 4,450 US hotel workers and 3,900 US farm workers," she said.

These jobs translated into a significant amount or revenue for the island in the form of remittances. A breakdown of the earnings show the US farm work programme bringing in J$250 million while the hotel worker programme brought in J$445 million.

Meanwhile, Jamaican workers in the Canadian programme generated $302 million.

"The Overseas Employment Programme is poised to grow and Mr Solomon and I have been asked to look at ways of improving numbers," Tyson-Hutchinson said. "We are asked to go out there and not just ensure that the relationship and the programme is protected but also that more opportunities are created for more Jamaican workers to enter into the programme."

The Ministry of Labour's Overseas Employment Programme, which was formed out of a partnership with the US in 1943, recently celebrated its 60th anniversary.

There have been some hiccups over the years, with some persons absconding as soon as they arrive in the host country or getting caught while smuggling drugs.

Despite having high praises for the overall success of the programme, Tyson-Hutchinson addressed the drug issue.

"I just want to implore Jamaicans to protect the programme.
We have had incidents of persons trying to infiltrate the programme with narcotics, especially the farm work programme," she said.

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