9/10 jobs held by locals in bulk of CIG
(CNS): Acting Deputy Governor Gloria McField-Nixon has revealed that, with the exception of four agencies, almost nine out of ten civil servants are Caymanians. While the entire civil service is made up of just under 75% local workers, just four departments still have relatively high overseas recruitment, bringing down the overall figure, which in the bulk of core government’s departments and agencies is running close to 90%, she said. Answering a question Friday in the Legislative Assembly about government’s use of the National Workforce Development Agency to recruit staff, McField-Nixon highlighted government’s success in attracting and retaining local workers.
Alva Suckoo, the opposition member for Newlands, had asked the deputy governor if all civil service vacancies were now being listed through the NWDA jobs data base. Standing in for Franz Manderson, McField-Nixon revealed that this is not mandatory. However, she noted that growing numbers of agencies in government are using the portal directly and all jobs in government are advertised on its own recruitment website and on the e-service website, which are linked to the NWDA job portal as well.
At present, there are around 30 diverse vacancies in government, all open to locals, ranging from a trainee investigator for the Anti-Corruption Commission to a director for the Sunrise Centre.
The acting DG said the most obvious manifestation that government was committed to seeking out and attracting Caymanians workers was the numbers. Across government, almost three-quarters of public sector workers are Caymanian. But if the RCIPS, the prison service, education and family services — the departments with the highest number of overseas recruits — were not included, 87%, or nearly nine out of ten workers, are local. McField-Nixon said that government continues to do as much as it can to attract and employ local people.
She said that the civil service will be “in from the ground up” as government moves to review and reshape the immigration department to divide the labour and work permit sections. McField-Nixon said she was expecting the portfolio to be directly involved in the consultation as that new department takes shape.
Although the percentage of locals working for government is much higher when compared to the levels in the private sector, where only a few organisations can brag of a near 75% local workforce, there are still concerns about the senior jobs and succession planning.
Several of government’s key agencies are still headed up by overseas senior staff. One of the most controversial issues over the last few years was the hiring of an overseas chief fire officer for the first time. The Cayman Islands Fire Service is one public agency where the staff is well over 90% local, but the failures in succession planning meant that when the top job became vacant, there was no one in the management team who had the requisite qualification to fill the chief’s job.
Category: Jobs, Local News, Policy, Politics
Okay but how many of those 9/10 actually do their jobs? The work ethic of Government Employees is beyond poor! Perhaps the Government needs a big shake up and have some employees replaced with people who actually want to work and don’t have an attitude!
That is never going to happen. Jobs have to be provided for locals somehow. If they were only to keep people who actually performed well or to the minimum standard, then there would be a mass exodus and unemployment would soar.
“…almost nine out of ten civil servants are Caymanians.”
Does that include status holders or just native born Caymanians? It would be nice to know.
How many so called Civil Servants have second, third or fourth incomes?
Government should stop the abuse of the HOD letter that entitles CS’s to run their own interests, normally on Government time, in Government vehicles and on Government money.
These people are effectively corrupt if they indulge in such behaviour whilst on duty as a Government employee, they should be fired.
Good point. “How many of the Caymanians are (for example) Jamaican?” would be a great question to know the answer to. The answer would would be surprising, particularly in certain areas of government.
it would not be a bit surprising since you had for a period time an open immigrtion policy for Jamaicans. What would knowing this add to the issue of underperformance of Caymanians who we are stuck with.
Exactly, most of the civil servants, teachers, social workers, legal, police are Jamaicans on contract or status, we should be analysis by nationality as well, there could be grounds for showing a positive discrimination stance, affirmative action FOR hiring of Jamaicans, but Caymanians are too scared to ask UK for help so they keep quiet and cry in the bathroom and elevator when everyday they feel as if working in Jamaica. Real shame
You seriusly cannot believe anything can and would be done.
I know that aren’t exactly Civil Servants, but on the Brac, at least two government affiliates, Credit Union and CAL cargo, have two employees and are closed for lunch!!
Since it seems so hard to determine who is really a Caymanian, how does government determine that 90% of its employees in fact hold that status? Has the Chief Immigration Officer acknowledged them?
It might not be mandatory to list all govt. vacancies on the NWDA portal but one would think that being a part of government it would make sense to do just that. If government do not care to be as efficient as possible then how can we expect private sector to advertise all of their vacancies properly so persons searching for jobs can find them. I hate when they come up with these silly responses. Another one is when they say ” that is not really how we deal with that” when it is clear to do so would eliminate so many hassles. I can understand the older generation (pen and paper generation) thinking like that but not the modern, IT savvy youngins making such excuses.
yeah…they employing civil servants…then taxing them to pieces. .a way of control over population…kinda a sort of communism/ dictatorship?
God ignorance is bliss. You will be telling me next that there is no corruption in your very Conservative right wing government.
Once this govt insists on a first world delivery of service, then no more clocking in late or having your coworker clock in for you. Unless he has a spare eyeball for you!
Because people cannot be trusted to do a fair days work for an enormous salary.
I’m so proud to be a civil servant these days. Everything has changed in the civil service.
Poor performers are all leaving for the private sector and we have achieved $100m surpluses.
So many Caymanians are being trained and promoted. As yes I am one of those. Never before have I received so many training opportunities.
Our political boards now needs the same shake up. Look at the PR board and the liquor Board.
Blinded by the light much?
Can ya put that to music?
1.38pm Surely anyone that leaves is a poor performer.
Poor performers are NOT all leaving. I daily see those who not only arrive in late but somehow exempt themselves from having to clock in and nothing is done about it.
I agree with this post. The Boards should not be made up from Political Supporters. There are so many knowledgeable Caymanians out there who are capable of doing a better job. For example that Pr Board is so important and should consist of Strong minded, intelligent, and caring Caymanians who cannot be bought. Some of our boards has members who take on this role for the Prestige and most of the time sleep in the meetings and don’t make a contribution at all to the meeting. Support nor don’t support the Gov of the day the very best should be selected for these positions.
As the employer of last resort, one would expect there to be an atmosphere thick with hustle…you’d be wrong. Nobody gets fired…ever. Paid leave can last years with full perks, gas cards, vehicles, housing and pension. Why hire one person to do something when you can hire 15?
Yes, 1:32, that is why the figures for Caymanians are so good…the employer of last resort. There is a lady in a ministry who was fired from her HR position from three, yes three, major private sector companies because she is hopeless. Government took her on because of course she’s a Caymanian. She’s still hopeless and always will be but she’s a Caymanian and she has a job. Booya.
And there you have all the problems.
When you trash Caymanians and call them lazy just remember amongst those percentages include status holders as legally they are now also Caymanian.
No, the status holders are not lazy. In order to be here long enough to get Status, they had to be on contract or work permit. If they were incompetent or lazy, they would have been let go. That is why all Caymanians in the civil service should be employed on two or maybe three year contracts instead of these lifetime contracts. It would keep people on their toes.
Several of the ones I know that got status are lazy. And there are a bushel of alcoholics.
“Caymanian” is a very loose term nowadays.
British Overseas Territories Citizen is the correct term for all in any event.
Not the same as a Caymanian.
No such thing.
Look up the term ‘Caymanian’. It’s not a nationality, it’s a descriptive term for somebody, anybody, who comes from the Cayman Islands.
A BOTC is the correct terminology for nationality.
BOTC is not a nationality. It is a citizenship defined by the British Nationality Act. Caymanian is not a citizenship or (strictly) a nationality. It is an immigration status defined and created by our immigration laws dating back a century. There are thousands of Caymanians who are not BOTC;s, and there are thousands of BOTC’s who are not Caymanians. Please stop communicating nonsense.
BELONGER is NOT a loosely used word. It’s catching on well by our multi-generational islanders.
I am a sixth generation Caymanian. Do not tell me otherwise. I show all the attributes of being a Caymanian. I have an entitlement attitude, I run my businesses whilst still working for government and in government time, I come and go as I please with inpunity. So please do not lump me with fair weather Caymanians or status holders.
yep makes perfect sense…civil service has a reputation for poor customer service, laziness, overstaffing, inefficiency
In the Brac, at least 90 % civil servants comes in late to work and called in sick at least 4 times a month and do their week shoping on Government time and the higher up’s don’t care for they do the same. Why don’t Government put in place punch in clocks, The reason is that that the bosses don’t come to work on time themselves and don’t want them in place. Shame, shame what going on over here,
In the Brac they also take extended lunch hours and no sooner they return from lunch they are then out of office again because they have to pick up the kid(s) from school. Also many officers just stay home and if you want to see them you have to go to their house. Shopping and banking all done on government time.
No point in them coming in to work as there is no real work to do. The Brac is a handout charity. Astonishing to think Ernie Scott gets $120,000 for doing nothing much just because it was decided by Julie and others years ago that it would be insulting to the Brac if they didn’t get these huge salaries. Madness.
How do you know there is no work to do? And for you to be making reference to Ernie’s salary it sounds as if you’re working there. Another case of bashing your own people.
Maybe because they do work there and they know that he is never in office. There is really nothing that you can hide in the Brac. We all know what goes on with civil servants there and who the culprits are that do not work or show to work when they should. The politicians know also but as usual nothing is done. Everyone that is taking advantage covers for each other.
With salaries like that no wonder they need direct flights to Miami. Nowhere to spend it in the Brac.
I will not hear a word against Miss Julie. After all she worked for two years teaching and then thought “how can I make things better” and promptly took herself to study law because help the children of the Cayman Islands somehow receive a better education.
says everything you need to know about caymanian workforce and their employability….
Certainly explains the inefficiencies.
Imagine being the token piece of driftwood. What a horrible environment to be in.
Got the T-shirt
What does your tshirt say?
“Boss”
Unfortunately being 90% Caymanian does not equate with effiiciency and high performance standards. Examples are legion, but take the latest, the chaos in the Liquor Board.
Yes. Unfortunately being 90% any other nationality does not equate with efficiency and high performance standards. Examples are legion. Take any other country for example.
So true. The way this board and the Department of Commerce and Investment are operating lately has become comical. I wonder who they are going to blame now for the latest information that has gone public if the individual that they were quick to throw under the bus is no longer there? Interesting to see if anyone will get transferred because of this recent confusion. Maybe it wasn’t an error to begin with.
But you’re okay with stolen cocaine out of the police evidence room, dirt bikes, evidence disappearing where their fellow countrymen have been arrested?
I’d much prefer dealing with Caymanians coming in late, filing nails and talking on their cell phone throughout the day than being subjected to the criminally intent dirty cops that protect their own kind.
Sorry, but even filing their nails, chatting on personal calls, turning up late or not at all, they also find time for criminality.
Well if expats are effecient why are the Poliice service and education system more effecient since they ard full of expats? They are the two worst run government agencies.
Because Customs is basically a family firm, with all the issues that would inevitably go with having a law enforcement organisation run as a cartel.
The Police were destroyed by successive waves of cheap alternatives being brought in to replace the hugely skilled and experienced expats when they left due to the appalling behaviour meted out to them by local officers. Especially those who were too cowardly to face their own communities and sent expats to do their dirty work, or to be locked down in the old central cells.
Teachers are leaving due to the feral behaviour of the self entitled darlings you like to call your future. Good luck with that and the hordes of fatherless brats that make life hell for all teachers, expat or Caymanian.
This cluster is of your own making, again!
Pay for efficiently and expertise, or make do with under educated cheap alternatives from elsewhere in the Caribbean.
Be careful lumping every Caymanian, Caymanian child and parent as an homogenous group. We are not. Yes we have many problems of our own making but these are caused by a culture of entitlement, an attitude to males that is positively medieval in their relationships with women, a thoroughly broken childrem and families department and successive governments who are more intent on getting rich than looking after the least vulnerable in society. Mark my words, in 20 years time you will pay the price, if not already.
Pat you have clearly shown your ignorance of the subject in hand. With all its faults the the Ministry of Education is the BEST government agency.
Or post office or Customs or Immigration