STATISTICS from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security show that as at June 6, 2002, approximately 673 job seekers and more than 50 employers have visited and used the Labour Market Information System (LMIS) since it was launched by the Ministry in January this year.

In addition more than 350 resumés were posted on the site and employers advertised 40 jobs at any time.

The LMIS is an Internet site that provides statistical data on the labour force and any other information that may impact on the labour market, such as educational and economic indicators. The LMIS also provides a job search and placement facility through the Electronic Labour Exchange (ELE) aspect of the system.

Speaking with JIS News recently, director of the labour exchange, Donna Adams, said the centre which houses the system also makes allowances for persons to come in and make their requests if they do not wish to put their information on the website. She noted that the centre has a boardroom facility where employers may conduct interviews.

Adams said that so far 54 people have applied for 138 jobs by using the LMIS and the services at the centre.

According to Adams, the site is a “quick and efficient marketplace for both employers and employees to come together”. She added that both can place their information on the site at their own convenience and at no cost. “In relation to the time and expense that are involved in a newspaper advertisement, the ELE is a cost saver. The request for an employee can be done at home away from the office at the employers’ convenience,” she said

Christopher Dyer who went to the centre to register for a job as an accountant said he had been seeking employment for a while and that the centre has made his search cost-effective and convenient. “To go to other job placement centres was costly and it was not a guarantee that you would get a job. So in most cases you lose,” he said.

Adams encouraged job seekers, particularly those who have no access to a personal computer, to visit the LMIS centre at the Ministry and have their resumés placed on the site. Persons will also be assisted with formatting their resumés. Prospective employees will undergo a brief assessment and their references and information will be checked and verified before they are referred to an employer.

Meanwhile, Adams said various categories of persons have sought employment through the system. “We have from the unskilled to the person with a Masters degree seeking employment,” she said, adding that the agency has received requests from employers seeking accountants, managers, supervisors, clerks, secretaries and persons to work in information technology as well as for domestic helpers.

Companies that have utilised the service included the Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB), Caribbean Construction Company and McDonald’s Restaurant.

Human resources manager at JMMB, Fiona Williamson, said her company was invited to use the system by the ministry and was pleased with the service. “We were able to fill a vacancy with a suitable applicant from the LMIS,” she said, and “we would definitely use the service again”.

Administrative officer at the Caribbean Construction Company, Jennifer Williams, said her company also employed one person who had registered on the system. “We requested persons for two vacancies and got numerous applicants through the LMIS,” she said.

Williams said, too, that the cost as well as the leeway to express more about the persons she was looking for were factors that worked in favour of the system.

McDonald’s restaurant has also benefited from the services for the centre as well. Human resources manager at McDonald’s, Denise Erskine-Jones, said she used the services of the LMIS centre to fill vacancies for line staff at Kingston and Montego Bay’s outlets and now for its food stalls at the upcoming IAAF/Coca Cola World Junior Champions.

“I am pleased with the enthusiasm of persons who work at the centre and they tried to match the specification of the persons we required from those applicants in their job bank,” Erskine-Jones said.

Other information that persons can access on the LMIS include useful information for anyone wishing to start their own business, information on labour laws, the International Labour Organisation and the Green Paper on the Flexi Work arrangement. The site is also linked to others, including the Students’ Loan Bureau, the University of the West Indies, the University of Technology, the Planning Institute of Jamaica, HEART Trust/NTA and the Jamaica Employers’ Federation.