Major changes, including training for workers, are coming to the Overseas Employment Programme which is better known as the Farmwork Programme.

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr announced the changes on Tuesday during a ministerial statement in the House of Representatives.

With a significant number of workers running off or going absent without leave (AWOL) each year and jeopardising the programme, Charles Jr gave a commitment in January following visits to the United States and Canada last year, of major changes to come to safeguard the decades-old programme. On Tuesday he noted that employers are faced with high costs when workers run off.

“I gave a commitment to improve the selection process and to better prepare our candidates to perform well. We will therefore be introducing a range of strategies to boost the programme,” he said.

These include building the capacity and employability skills of workers through human resources development and training; improving service delivery to both workers and employers through the Ministry and the Liaison Service; and strengthening of the capacity of the programme to satisfy the needs of workers and employers.

While workers selected must be literate and numerate, the ministry is enhancing the assessment process with a psychometric tool to get better insight into the personality profile to determine best fit.

“As we know, for success, your attitude not your aptitude determines your altitude,” Charles stated. He reminded that the ministry will be collaborating with the HEART/NSTA Trust to prepare workers for work through employment readiness training.

“Candidates will also engage in crop propagation courses at one of our agricultural institutions,” he announced, promising to share further details on these initiatives in his sectoral presentation.

In the meantime Charles Jr is encouraging his fellow members of parliament to conduct their own screening and to select suitable candidates for the programme.

He reminded of the criteria for participation in the programme which include the following:

-Candidates must be between 21 and 45 years old and literate.

-Must have a valid Jamaican passport.

-Must have NIS and TRN.

-Have no criminal record.

-Able to work long hours and to perform work that is physically demanding.

-Experience in farming and preferably registered with RADA.

-Never been previously disqualified from participating in any of the ministry’s overseas employment programmes due to medical or any other reason.

-Not have been deported from any country.

To assist members of parliament to make proper selections, the labour ministry will be hosting two online sessions to provide them or members of their constituency team with the relevant guidance.

Both sessions will be held this Thursday, April 11.