WORC adds deputy director to team

(CNS): Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman (WORC) has added another member to its management team, but there is still no date for when this new department will be fully functioning. Kyle McLean, who has been made deputy director for business operations, started the job two weeks ago, according to a government release. McLean has over 19 years experience as a civil servant, having started working for government in 2000 at the Budget and Management Unit.

In 2003 he became a financial administrator in the Department of Tourism and in 2005 he became deputy chief financial officer in the Ministry of District Administration, Works and Gender Affairs. In 2011 he served as assistant director of tourism, finance and administration, where he worked until he moved to the new WORC department.

According to a press release about his appointment, he will support the WORC director, “providing leadership through the development and implementation of  strategic plans”, while managing staff within the new unit, working in finance, human resources and administration and customer services. 

He will be responsible for the strong customer service experience, providing financial analysis and guidance on all plans and targets, and the overall talent management process. McLean will also manage the workplace culture and environment.

WORC Director Sharon Roulstone said she was delighted to welcome him to the team. “Mr McLean is a Caymanian with many years of management level experience in the civil service. His leadership skills are already enhancing the organisation and we look forward to progressing our strategies, particularly in the area of human resources,” she said.

McLean said he was excited to be a part of the WORC team and was looking forward to the challenges and opportunities. “My goal is to build a highly efficient and capable operations team that enables WORC to operate at its optimum level,” he said.

WORC is the result of a merger between the former labour department and elements of the immigration department dealing with work permits and permanent residency. The aim is to create a one-stop show, where every job vacancy where employers will be seeking a work permit are posted and processed.

According to the director in comments made last year, the department is still working on the IT issues and pilots to ensure access for job seekers and employers. The goal is to create a streamlined system that will allow government to better analyse the needs of the job market and to monitor and improve how Caymanians are treated in the recruitment process and in the work place.

It is understood that more legislation is required to enable the new department to take on its full remit. While the Legislative Assembly is due to sit this week, no draft bills relating to WORC have yet been published.