WORC portal will vet job ads

| 13/08/2019 | 94 Comments
Caymam News Service
WORC Building on Elgin Ave

(CNS): The online job vacancy platform that will be central to government’s new approach to employment and immigration is about to enter the testing phase. Sharon Roulstone, the director of the National Workforce Development Agency (WORC), the new unit that emerged from the division of the immigration department into two new agencies, explained that this will be the central platform for all vacancies in Cayman in future and the process will see job adverts being vetted.

Speaking on Radio Cayman’s For the Record on Monday, Roulstone said that any job posted on the portal will automatically match with the database of registered Caymanians.

Both the employer and would-be candidates are then alerted about each other. But if the would-be boss still attempts to overlook available local workers and continues towards the permit application, Roulstone said those Caymanians that were matched to the job will be notified that a permit application has been made. If they then tell WORC that the employer did not contact them or they feel passed over, they will be invited in to WORC and given an opportunity to object to the permit.

“We bring the two together at that point and we can make a much more informed decision about why that permit should or should not proceed,” Roulstone explained, adding that it was a vast improvement over the current system.

However, the director warned that it will require Caymanians to be proactive and tell WORC if they applied for the job and were either not contacted or refused the position. The new portal is designed to notify job-seekers that a relevant vacancy is available but Caymanians have to be registered and must then make the application themselves.

Provided that job-seekers register and keep WORC informed, the new agency will be able to more closely follow the reasons why a local candidate is refused work.

The agency will also be taking a closer look at some of the other issues that people believe are undermining local workers’ efforts to get jobs and creating an unfair playing field, such as the manipulation of job advertisements.

Roulstone said that employers will not be able to post requirements in a job position that WORC perceives as unnecessary as the advert will not be accepted, she said. If a job posting is not accepted, then the prospective employer will not be able to go on to apply for a permit.

“WORC will vet job postings so you can’t just go online and post the job as you want. You have to fit within our criteria. If we have reasons to question… what is perceived to be dodgy… then we will have a more collaborative approach with our customers asking why something was necessary, ” the director said.

She said that WORC will look at adverts that are posted elsewhere, as employers can advertise outside the portal, and if the job description is different from the one approved by WORC, then that could also prevent the employers from being granted a work permit.

Roulstone said the new system may not be perfect but she believes it will be better that how things have worked and allow more room for real scrutiny.

She said that they are expecting a soft launch next week, with the aim of going live in September. So now WORC needed every Caymanian looking for a job to come into the agency and register because if they are not registered, they cannot have access to the portal and “it will be almost impossible to help you”.


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Category: Government Administration, Jobs, Local News, Politics

Comments (94)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    There is a lot of Caymanian bashing in these posts. Do we need expats? Most would agree we do, but if you come here and put down Caymanians, they will come out fighting. Would you welcome a guest in your home if they started to run you down? In any society there are lazy people. One only needs to read the UK or US press to see the people who live off benefits. No such system here. Have a little respect for the local people and try to understand their struggle, it is not a myth it is real. The average Caymanian struggles.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Let’s not forget those tax evaders who only use cayman to hide and launder money and they got the nerve to call caymanians criminals!🤣

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    • Anonymous says:

      caymanians will do nothing…..we didn’t come to take part, we came to take over!
      mission accomplished.

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  2. Anonymous says:

    you will only be able to address this issue, when we can talk honestly about the issues faced by employers when hiring caymanians.

    go ask any of the major employers for their experiences with caymanians regarding work ethic, time keeping, sick leave, basic manners, appearance, attitude.

    don’t be afraid of the truth.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Why does Government have to do this? I keep seeing post about how great the private sector is.

  3. anon says:

    I cannot understand how employers can be so stupid as to pay sky high work permit fees plus travel expenses to employ an expatriate who has no qualifications and has to be taught his job by a Caymanian who has a first class degree from a mainstream university, when they can choose from a pool of similarly highly qualified Caymanians at far less cost.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The University of Asscrack Florida is not a mainstream University, as soon as you can get that through your thick skull, you might have a chance.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Once you get the concept of sarcasm through your thick skull you may understand the original post.

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      • Solomon says:

        Another idiot downgrading the tertiary education from solid Universities in Florida. Can you please provide a list of these schools? You’re clearly bitter and couldn’t get accepted. Some of the top scholars from EU and Asia apply and attend these same Universities. Meanwhile some of the Expatriates that you claim have earned diplomas from what you deem to be superior institutions have no top tier accreditations especially for Business related studies.

        Young Caymanians please take note of idiots like this. They want to deter you from going away and obtaining your degree. Once you’re back you will now be on the same level of the Expatriates that many fellow Caymanians have been brainwashed to praise.

        Universities in Florida are solid schools and are well respected globally. As the saying goes “You get what you put in”. These same University were good enough for Fortune 500 CEO’s among other great accomplishments by former students.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Most recently caymanian graduates hail from UK/ European, Canadian and local (UCCI, ICCI, UWI) tertiary education institutions nowadays. Where did you graduate from ?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Easier for the employer to control. Will work for minimum wage. Many reasons. Local unemployment is a myth. If you are a truly skilled, honest Caymanian, you already have a job.

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      • Anonymous says:

        I believe anon is talking about professional jobs. Not minimum wage jobs. Most professional jobs at KPMG,PWC, EY, etc. require as many hours as it takes to get the work done during “busy” seasons. There is really no pre-set hours. You can work till midnight, or go home put your kids to bed and work at night, it is up to you, as long as you meet deadlines. Caymanians refuse to work like that.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Oh shut up. I am a Caymanian and have worked many unsociable hours and through many nights. I am over 60 years old and can still do it, so get off your high Caymanian bashing horse.

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          • Anonymous says:

            You are the older generation. Many of us work with the younger generation and we have to pick up their slack while they continue to hold their status over the bosses head.

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            • Younger generation says:

              Oh, please tell me how I can hold my status over the head of my boss! I didn’t know I could do that. Would that finally get me an increase over what I was earning 6 years ago?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Only if there were a portal to connect these mythical caymanians with jobs.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Because when you have a permit holder, you own them and buy loyalty. No matter how much of a crappy boss you are.

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      • Anonymous says:

        so Cayman is enabling slavery it that what you are saying?

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      • Anonymous says:

        Um. That’s pushing it mate. Even in professional services some are seen as a threat to existing managers and are treated like shit. That will never buy my loyalty.

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    • Anonymous says:

      How bout expat insecurity, indenture nature of permits, cronyism

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    • Anonymous says:

      @at 7:06 pm
      that is easy. We had a young Caymanian woman who was pursuing CPA license and wished to learn and gain experience in Tax field. She only lasted one tax season though, and quickly switched to “regular hours” type of job in another company, while we were working 60+HR a week.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Oh well done, you have solved the problem, all Caymanians must be like the one you describe then?

        Maybe she is smarter than you, got the experience she needed and moved on to work smarter not harder.

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  4. anon says:

    Will the portal answer telephone calls?.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Here’s a thought. Disband the WORK Department & Business Staffing Plan Board and any other totally redundant department. Forget about work permits for anyone legally on island. Just charge the fees. Stop interfering in private industry and making businesses inefficient by dictating who they should hire and what training they should provide. Guaranteed within a year the Caymanian unemployment would fall even further, even though were practically at full employment anyway. This whole charade is just a way for inept and ignorant politicians to make the voters feel they are doing a good job and protecting them. Use the money saved to support the unemployables who don’t and won’t work anyway.

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    • Anonymous says:

      What country has such open borders? You should go there non-belonger

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      • Anonymous says:

        You should read a bit closer. The comment clearly states for anyone legally on the island. And says they should still pay the WP fees. Just remove the bureaucracy of it all. No where does it say anything about open borders.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    And who will vet WORC? There’s already a lot of concern about the way the WPB, CPA and other public bodies work, will they be any different?

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Ugh. As a Caymanian working in HR, I am forever frustrated by our youth applying for jobs they do not have the skills, qualifications or experience for, failing to turn up for interviews or turning up completely unprepared and unable to put together a sensible sentence in response to routine questions such as ‘why do you want to work with us’ and ‘what do you know about our company’. Seriously, I understand why many companies just go through the motions when advertising positions, our countrymen and women need to step up and make us all proud.

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    • Anonymous says:

      So, please tell me if you are one of these companies that interviews people and tell them you will let them know and then do not contact them at all? That seems to be the case many times. Yes, you may say it is obvious if you don’t contact them that there is No job for them, but it is courteous and professional to at least let people know.

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      • anon says:

        5.34pm you mean like the Civil Service regarding applications from non Caymanians?.

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        • Anonymous says:

          The civil service does not know who is Caymanian from who is not.

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          • Anonymous says:

            Not true. Page 1 of application form:

            “If you are not Caymanian, what is your Immigration status in the Cayman Islands?
            Permanent Resident or Work Permit Holder?”

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            • Anonymous says:

              Identifying yourself as Caymanian does not mean you are Caymanian.

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              • Anonymous says:

                Well a simple computer system used across all civil service that has relevant info on everyone would help. Oh wait, forgot where I lived.

      • Anonymous says:

        Unfortunately, this is the way worldwide these days (for over a decade). It’s horrible but I am getting used to it.

    • Anonymous says:

      Ye know ,I often wonder how do people get experience if we don’t puts them to work,,,this is crap ,kids come out of high school some even go on to college,they apply for jobs only to here they have no experience,,,now I know how one gets experience,,I just want to know how everyone else thinks they get it …how you all think the expats come here with experience ? Surly ,they were at the same position where they came from i guess ,,, and not all them have the requirements either,,,but we rather hire them .

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      • Anonymous says:

        you don’t apply for a job in the middle of the career ladder, you apply at the bottom and work your way up just like everyone else in the world does.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I am a hiring manager also. I do not need skills, qualifications or experience, I need a desire to learn, work ethic and a positive attitude from someone that enjoys coming to work and being around customers and co-workers.

      I constantly hire young Caymanians, and the things i hear most are “I know” (they don’t), I am sick today” (again, you were sick last week and late twice this week) and “I am going to the Labour board” ( go ahead, they can pay your check next week).

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    • Anonymous says:

      It happens because their government has brainwashed them into thinking that all they need to do is turn up and hey presto! A job! Fix that first and they stand a chance. After the education system is fixed as well. I won’t hold my breath.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Written like a true Uncle Tom Caymanian HR “professional”. You wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for the laws and regulations you help your employer evade.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I seriously doubt you are who you say you are. Good companies interview people for their attitude and personality second to qualifications. They don’t ask ‘googled’ interview questions leaving the interviewee trying to give answers he or she think they want.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    From a corporate jobs perspective, this is a little more complex of a problem. You can’t get upset when a high-level job is not filled by a Caymanian. Chances are, the qualified Caymanians are already employed and doing well. If they are unemployed, why is that the case (above obvious reasons like redundancy)?

    Jobs need to be created for Caymanian at an entry level. If they work hard and are good at their job, they will almost certainly be promoted over an expat.

    Jobs outside of the corporate world shouldn’t even be open to expats unless it can be proven without a shadow of a doubt that there is no one suitable to fill the position.

    Unfortunately, the main problem is that there are companies that don’t want to hire locally and there are also a percentage of the local community that don’t want to work or feel they deserve a better job than they are qualified to do.

    Just an neutral opinion. I believe there is a problem. I also believe these programs/initiatives are a band-aid and not a long term solution. This will take a generation or two to correct properly (assuming there is good government).

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    • Anonymous says:

      Often the person hiring doesn’t exactly want Caymanians with career progression planning as it is their job on the line.

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      • Anonymous says:

        That’s a ridiculous comment. No one is taking anyone’s jobs. The truth is, we all think we are amazing at our job and are blind to the fact that we are almost always average at best.

        People who are good, do well. They don’t hide behind excuses.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I agree with you @ 1:43pm. The issue is though is when you have permit renew job advertisements for junior level positions at various companies on island, like what someone said below. Not directed at you per se, but how can a Caymanian get his/her foot in the door if the lower level position is going to be given to an expat?

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  9. Anonymous says:

    The system is still easily manipulated as once the Caymanian is interviewed a list of bogus reasons can be used to state why they weren’t suitable. Will the classic “overqualified” excuse and such others be flagged by WORC? Unless there are stiff fines and penalties for these abuses as well as due diligence behind the scenes to match the qualification requirements with the job recipient and checks that the qualifications arent fake, I dont see much changing.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Sharon, many Caymanians have reported having been ignored for jobs in the past to your predecessors. Your predecessors ignored them, granted the permits, and now you are granting these same people status. Many of the long-marginalized Caymanians are giving up. How can Caymanians trust this is going to be any different?

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  11. Anonymous says:

    The bit I don’t like about this process is that you have to register as looking for work just to view the available jobs. I’m sure I’m not alone in browsing through the newspaper ads, anonymously, to get a feel for the jobs market, who is hiring, and what jobs are available, and what the pay grades are.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    Really isn’t the best system, but I agree with Ms. Roulstone in that its better than what they have in place now.

    The issue will be getting Caymanians to register and also report if they’ve been overlooked. I’m hoping that the WORC personnel are also diligent on job postings on other tangible/digital platforms as well. I know a firm here that adverts for two Junior level positions every three months in the Cayman Compass and as soon as you send your resume, they reply back saying you haven’t been selected. I referred 4 associates who recently graduated from universities and all 4 said they got a response back in approximately 30 minutes.

    Hopefully this at least helps those that are actively looking for employment.

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    • Anonymous says:

      That firm should be closed down. Unless there are real consequences, the crap will continue.

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  13. Anonymous says:

    I find the hardest part of hiring a Caymanian is them picking up the phone or answering an email for an interview. Will this help that problem??

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    • Anonymous says:

      Not all Caymanians my friend. We are not all the same. Just as you, and others from your Country, are not the same. Please stop putting all of us in the same boat.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Not all Caymanians my friend. We are not all the same. Just as you, and others from your Country, are not the same. Please stop putting all of us Caymanians in the same boat. We too can be on time, dependable, hard-working and trustworthy.

      Perhaps you are just attracting the wrong ones.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Depends on the generation. The older generation, definitely hard working, intelligent, dependable etc. I interviewed a young man and asked him why should you be hired and his response was “because i am a Caymanian”. I appreciate that not all are same but my older Caymanian staff is into work everyday and working very hard unfortunately I cannot say same for our younger generation.

        That said, younger generation is a global problem not just in Cayman. However, by WORC restricting and tying corporate hands will hurt our economy. Remember, we are competing in global markets and have already lost so much to likes of India, Canada, Phlilipines etc. They have large pools of labour to select from. Just a thought for policy makers to actually do something positive not just political manures to gain votes.

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  14. Anonymous says:

    How about actually penalizing those employers who continue to abuse the process?

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  15. Anonymous says:

    Good luck to get Caymanians go to the interview on rainy days!

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    • Anonymous says:

      My wife (a Caymanian) has attended every interview she has been called to. In one instance she was actually told it was a permit renewal and they just had to go through the motions. That is how brazen these employers are! She has either been offered minimum wage (she is educated to degree level) or ignored because it is a permit renewal. Another trick employers use is to put qualifications in the ad (to make it harder to fill) when the incumbent permit holder doesn’t even have them. This is a very real problem and I welcome the additional scrutiny.

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      • Anonymous says:

        I’d find myself a better wife if I was you.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Agreed. My husband who is a Caymanian experienced the same thing. He was told on 4 different interviews it was a permit renewal and they were only interviewing him to go through the motions. This was told to him by both local and expat HR representatives. I think there are good and bad Caymanians and good and expats. We are stuck on blanket stereotypes. I hope this new process works for the sake of the locals that are caught up unfairly by negative stereotypes.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Good luck using that excuse if the expat you are trying to hire hasn’t physically come in for an interview themselves.

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  16. Anonymous says:

    LOL – Good luck

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  17. Anonymous says:

    Good news, but you are going to allow some law firms to keep ignoring the laws, right?

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