The owner of at least one small security company is feeling the pinch of not having enough qualified employees, as his security guards are leaving in droves for overseas employment or are being recruited by larger firms.

The proprietor, who did not want to be named, told the Jamaica Observer on Friday that he was losing his guards soon after money had been spent to train them, and he now has difficulty recruiting competent people to fill vacancies.

“We are having issues getting qualified people because most of the people who we are recruiting now are in the age group 19 to 21, but most of the senior persons in our organisation have migrated and you have another 10 per cent who travel on the farm work programme…[With] the experience that they [get] in the security industry…their work ethic is above the normal workers so because of that their [overseas] employer always finds favour in them,” he said.

He said he believes that around 30 per cent of the people who work in the security industry, “have taken another route out of Jamaica…seeking asylum in the United States if they get the chance to cross the border.”

The security company head, who said that he has been in business for over 20 years, noted that over the last six years small companies have also been facing the problem of bigger companies sending around ‘feelers’, to find out the contract details of guards “and make offers to your security guards and take them away.

“When we recruit and we train them, other companies go around, find out what you are paying them and…they make them an offer above their minimum wage and take away your guards,” he said.

He said that one of the things that hurt small security firms the most, is that they are caught unprepared when guards who decide to leave “will just call and say they are not coming back, they don’t tender a resignation, nothing at all, they just leave.”

The security company owner also claimed that there is a particular security company that offers an incentive to the supervisor or senior person to recruit guards from other security companies. He said, as a result, these recruiters are relentless in their headhunting of qualified guards.

“The only way things will be better is if all security companies come together or there is a system put in place by the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) because we, the company, who invest in these guards, spend ‘x’ amount of money on training them, shortly after they leave, we end up losing. Some system need to be put in place to protect smaller companies,” he insisted.

But executive director of the PSRA Rick Harris told the Sunday Observer that he sees nothing wrong with the recruitment tactics of larger companies.

“Aren’t you free to be employed by any company as long as you are qualified and you meet the requirements of the institutions?” he queried.

Harris said he had no qualms about “somebody giving somebody a better job opportunity — whether it’s through remuneration or a chance for advancement.”

In the meantime, highlighting another issue impacting new, small security firms, a proprietor said this is actually the ability to land contracts which is based on reputation — an achievement they have not yet acquired.

He said that since going into business in 2021, the firm, which offers services such as armed, unarmed guards, escort, patrol and private investigations, has not been able to land profitable contracts, due to the newness of the company.

“Whenever we go to a client and they realise that we are new…there are certain offers that they want to put to us, because we are new they think that maybe we’re not experienced enough, so they would [prefer to] get a [well-known] name out there,” he said.

“If no business or company gives us a contract, then who is there to recommend us?,” he questioned.