Hundreds apply for jobs via govt’s new employment programme
Hundreds of applicants have flocked the government’s RATED (Registration, Apprenticeship, Training, Employment, and Development) programme that was launched to provide training and employment for Belongers who are unemployed and underemployed.
According to statistics from Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley, 418 persons have registered with the programme since the project was approved in late November last year.
Dr Wheatley said 337 registered in the area of landscaping and field work while 79 registered in the area of administration. Twelve applicants did not qualify.
While speaking in the House of Assembly recently, the Premier said 76 persons have been placed in a job since December 2022.
And while giving a breakdown of those placements, Premier Wheatley said 59 received temporary assignments in the area of landscaping/bush cutting, six persons received temporary assignments in administration, five received temporary assignments in construction, another five persons received temporary assignments in trucking, while one person received a temporary assignment in sanitation.
He told the House of Assembly that applicants as well as employers requesting apprentices receive placements on a first come, first served basis.
“The purpose of the rotation methodology and first come, first served service is to guard against favouritism and to ensure fairness in the access to the opportunities of the programme,” the Premier stated.
“The Premier’s Office continues to prepare listings for participants under the various pathways and employers based on the order of application, and will conduct assignments accordingly. When the list is exhausted, selection will continue from the top of the list, ensuring rotation.” he added.
As for the training aspect of the programme, Dr Wheatley said the first training course in the area of electrical work is ready to commence in partnership with the H Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC).
“I encourage persons that are interested in learning the trade of an electrician to call the Premier’s Office and register your interest so that you can be registered to participate in the upcoming training programme and to get more information,” the Premier stated.
And while noting that the RATED programme covers a wide range of job types that also includes office work, data entry, digitising records, plumbing, etcetera; Dr Wheatley said: “It is important for prospective employers to tell the government what their needs are and for job seekers to tell us what kinds of jobs they want and what kind of support they need to access these jobs, so that this information can be taken into consideration as we continue to grow the programme and to implement further phases.”
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The NDP under Hon. Walwyn had a very good youth employment services program that worked and helped a lot of young people. I guess because it was done by him the VIP did not continue it. Here you are now trying to do the same thing two months before election when we had a major unemployment problem with our young people over the last 3 1/2 years just because your government did not want to continue what was started with the NDP.
Has anybody tried to register on the new Government tax website? It does not seem to work!
I remember the Youth employment services program when the last government was in. I started on that program and now I work in the bank. The government paid half of my salary and the business place I was working at paid the other half. Ms. Rochelle was assigned to make sure things went well and that I was growing in my job. Why wasn’t that program continued. It helped me and a lot of my peers.
1000 jobs in 1000 days but you didn’t say locals or outsiders
Those that were employed were all from district 7
Not true!
please state whether those persons already have/had a job and the reason why they are they not working. one mart just opened at two locations why were they not employed there.
” training and employment for Belongers ” just shows the government doesn’t care diddley about everyone else. Discrimination !
you dont go to Asia and demand equal employment for Germans over asian youth. Especially in the areas of training and entry level jobs.