NiCE workers have barriers to labour market
NiCE participants at work
(CNS): The number of unemployed people who joined the recent summer clean-up initiative fell by almost a quarter compared to previous NiCE programmes, but many of those who were involved had significant barriers preventing them from getting into the wider labour market, government has said. The latest programme finished at the end of last month, with 467 people taking part — a drop of 23% from the Christmas cleanup. The minister responsible for environmental health said some of the workers will now be joining the iguana cull that is expected to start next month.
The project was organised by the planning and health ministries, and workers cleaned up more than 65 individual sites. The largest work assignments included Smith Barcadere, Colliers Beach Access, the Bo Miller Beach and several vacant lots in George Town and Prospect.
Selected workers were assigned to augment the Department of Environmental Health’s garbage collection crew, “which made a significant impact in reducing the backlog of collections”, officials said a press release. Other work details included an extensive roadside clean-up and a general tidy up of the Windsor Park residential area.
Work teams, which were supervised by foremen from Public Works Department (PWD), Department of Environmental Health and the National Roads Authority (NRA), also cleared litter and other debris from cemeteries, such as Dixie Cemetery on West Bay Road, and from popular tourist sites like Lovers Wall in East End.
Infrastructure Minister Joey Hew said he was encouraged by the amount of work achieved during the programme.
“The initiative continues to provide a necessary gateway to further employment for those registered on the Community Enhancement Project,” he said. “The figures collated show a 23% reduction in persons enrolled. Closer analysis also highlights the fact that many of those registered have significant barriers to accessing full-time work.”
Despite the challenges, Health Minister Dwayne Seymour said the names of high-performing workers would be passed on to the upcoming green iguana culling project. “Graded references are a new aspect to NiCE and will enable some of those who worked diligently to take part in the invasive species population control measure,” he said.
The ministry has given references to those who completed the project in the hope of helping them get jobs. These were originally referred to as certificates, however Hew appeared to backtrack on that when he described the letter in the Legislative Assembly last week and redefined them as references.
According to the statistics released by government relating to the programme, 169 of the participants were women and the largest group of workers came from George Town, where 171 men and women signed up, closely followed by West Bay, where 159 people joined the initiative.
Category: Jobs, Local News
2:37pm that is what went wrong with the stabby kid not enough to do. And seen a poor example of supervision were left out. If you are not a friend or a cousin you will not be noticed. Did you get it 2:37pm?.
10:15 am in the public is that there are positions available for the solid waste managers and the landfill managers. In the public is that the solid waste and the landfill managers told Roydell how much over-time that were necessary for them to get the work done. In public is that it were so much over-time that it were too much money that Roydell spent on over-time that when he tried to stop the money spending to pay for the over-time it were too late. So Roydell is being the only person who are getting the blame. In the public it is that there are plenty more Roydells that were part of the problem and still is the problem and they are still working in enviromental health.
The only barriers that they have is the goverment. Cheap labour market and work permits is their only goal. From 1970 to 2018 construction companies has been paying $10 – $12 per hour. And you want to say we lazy . You mad .
That is a NICE way to put it.
If this is a known fact. Why force them onto the Business?
Just find a way to keep them employed and distracted.
Where the heck is Roydell? By the way
What? Cleaning Windsor Park? That’s not an actual park for people to enjoy, they do know that right?
Get the stabby kid on the iguana cull team! He’ll come in handy!!
Yep, ironic huh?
Can someone say what ate these workers that are passed on to iguana culling going to do.? So far the culling processes I understand it is to shoot the iguanas, the take them to a central agency. If this is the only process, them can we hear how are these extra
Erslnnel going to be armed to conduct the massacre. Just asking.
more unemployment mythology….
I can see why te numbers dropped if garbage collection was included in the assignments. This is a real job requiring real effort and not just the opportunity to stand around and chat.
It is sad and pathetic that government is seeing what is wrong in this program , but can’t and won’t do anything to correct it, just shows that they don’t care , and only wants it to be seen as if they are doing it to help the situation .
You mean the certificates wont help?
Why are they cleaning up Windsor Park? Shouldn’t the owners be held accountable for that? I’d like the public beaches and parks pressure washed, raked for crap in the sand and litter picked up instead!
There should be plenty of positions available at the DEH if the Dwayne was telling the truth about non-attendance.