A Caymanian’s story of job-hunting in Cayman
Timisha Haylock writes: Ladies and gentlemen of the board, I stand before you today to share my journey, a journey marked by determination, resilience, and an unwavering belief in my own potential; a journey that began in 2012 when I made the bold decision to leave the financial corporate world and pursue a field that truly brought joy to my soul: culinary arts.
Leaving behind my then 1½-year-old daughter, I embarked on 4½ years of university education. In 2016, I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Culinary Arts, Food and Beverage Service Management, with a minor in Baking and Pastry and Event Planning. As the recipient of the Ritz-Carlton Culinary Scholarship, we were assured of a job within the kitchen upon graduation.
However, when I reached out to the lady in charge, I was told that I could not be placed in the kitchen due to my lack of experience. I was offered a position in housekeeping instead, with the suggestion that maybe, in a year or two, I could apply for a kitchen position once I was already in the door.
I was determined to be in the kitchen where my passion lies, and as a Caymanian, I believed there was a place for me. This marked the beginning of my journey in applying for jobs. My first goal was to enter the restaurant industry here in the Cayman Islands and start honing my skills.
I began applying for jobs before even leaving university, but I was unable to secure a position. Nevertheless, I returned home and continued to apply for jobs in my industry.
When the new Kimpton hotel was opening in 2016, I attended the interview session. The hiring manager looked over my resume with amazement and disbelief, questioning whether I truly possessed all the skills listed. After affirming that I did, the interview began. I thought everything was going well until the end, when the manager told me that although I was great on paper and in person, he couldn’t hire me because I was “too much of a threat”.
He couldn’t justify to the immigration board why they needed a work permit when I, a qualified Caymanian, was available. He even offered me a position as a pool girl instead, which I declined, as my heart was set on working in the kitchen.
Despite these setbacks, I continued to pursue my dreams. A job opportunity at Bon Vivant Kitchen Store came my way and I took it. However, due to circumstances beyond my control, I had to walk away from that position. I resumed job hunting, sending out resumes to various places. During this time, I began baking and selling banana bread to generate some income, and assisted my parents with their company as an HR officer and manager, further honing my skills in the management field.
Along doing this, I launched a small private chef company called TIA’s Table, catering to visitors, parties, weddings, and more, with our largest event serving 150 people. This venture lasted for approximately four years until COVID-19 forced us to close our doors. We lived off our savings until they were depleted, and unfortunately, like many other small businesses, we were unable to bounce back due to a lack of financial backing.
After the birth of my second daughter, I decided to take a year off to be with her fully. Six months in, I began job hunting again, knowing the process could take time. Yet, I kept hitting dead ends. Applications went unanswered, or when I did receive a response, I was told I was either overqualified or underqualified.
I applied to numerous places, including Dart’s restaurants, Dart Corporate Office, gas stations, and various food industry businesses like Fosters, Kirk’s, and Hurley’s, etc. On a few occasions, I was called in for an interview, only to later see work permit holders in the positions I had applied for.
Nevertheless, I kept applying, even at Kimpton once again. Despite being invited there as a guest chef for one of their Chef Table dinners during Women’s Month, my application was overlooked; no calls came. I began exploring opportunities outside my culinary degree, tapping into my skills in events and design. Even though I didn’t hold a full degree in these fields, my minor in event and wedding planning gave me a deep understanding of the industry, and I was willing to start from the bottom to build a new career.
Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, I learned valuable lessons as a business owner and operator, building significant strengths that could be used in any industry. Knowing this, I reached out to marketing businesses on the island, asking if they had any entry-level positions where I could use my skills to make a career change. I received a response from only one company, yet I continued applying for jobs in culinary, events, marketing, HR, and operations.
By mid-2023, after applying for over 200 jobs in the Cayman Islands over the last two years, I finally got a few interviews. Unfortunately, I didn’t secure a single job, only to see expats filling positions I was qualified to do. For example, during an interview at Morritt’s in East End, I was told off the record to keep looking elsewhere because they didn’t want to hire me, a Caymanian, as they would have to pay me a decent salary for my qualifications.
A little later, I was invited to interview for a position in Events and Marketing at Tortuga. The initial interview went well, and they asked me back for a second interview, where I was required to create a presentation. They wanted to focus on their rum cakes and rebrand to push other areas of the business. They provided me with a scenario and gave me 48 hours to prepare my presentation.
I stayed up late, meticulously creating events tailored to their needs — events to reintroduce the bakery, integrate social media recipes, and more. I presented these ideas during the interview, and they absolutely loved it.
They made me an offer; however, the salary they proposed was less than $1,500 take-home, a figure impossible to survive on in the Cayman Islands given the cost of living. They expected me to work weekends, handle all after-hours events, create new marketing ideas, manage a team of two, and train staff at all their locations.
I did my research on the going rate for such a position without a degree and presented my findings, stating my case for a fairer salary. They acknowledged my research and said they would get back to me.
After about a week and a half, I noticed that the ideas I had pitched were being rolled out on social media. Tortuga even held the bakery walk-through event that I had suggested, using everything I had presented without my permission. Three weeks later, they finally came back to me, but only offered about $100 more than their initial proposal.
This experience highlighted the unethical practices I have encountered, and I turned down the offer because I knew my worth. I refused to sell myself short in my own country. I continued my job hunt and applied for four different positions at the new hotel, Indigo, which both the hotel and the government claimed would create jobs for local Caymanians. Yet, despite being a Caymanian and applying to four kitchen positions, I did not even receive an interview.
I then sought the help of multiple recruitment companies, diligently filling out their “Contact Me” forms as instructed and applying to jobs posted on their sites. However, I was met with silence — no calls, no emails, no assistance. This happened repeatedly with agencies like Nova and The Agency. Despite this poor treatment, I continued applying for jobs through these companies.
Eventually, I did receive a few responses, but they led nowhere. In some cases, the communication simply stopped, while in others, they failed to submit my application as promised, only to later tell me, “Oops, we forgot, and the position has been filled. It doesn’t make sense to submit it now, but we’ll keep looking.”
I ask you, who is being held accountable for this? As we enter 2025, I find myself disheartened after up to 300 job applications sent out. I am a born Caymanian with generational Caymanian ancestors, yet I am made to feel like a second-class citizen in my own country. What does this say about Cayman? What message does this send to our Caymanians?
I’d like to put this into perspective: We are told to get a degree, to follow our dreams, to create our path and stand tall. But when we return home, we can’t get a job. We can’t gain the years of experience that companies demand, and we can’t hone our skills in our homeland. Meanwhile, others come here and capitalise on the opportunities that should be available to Caymanians.
We live in a country where being Caymanian feels like a death sentence to our aspirations. I graduated with honours in 2016, and yet, I have not been able to secure a job in my area of expertise. I say this again: I graduated with honours in 2016, and I have not been able to secure a job in my area of degree.
This is my home, and I should not feel like I don’t belong in my own country. My forefathers worked to create a home for us. My grandfather lost his life at sea, leaving his children behind, while he was contributing to the building of this country.
And now, I find myself being told that I’m not good enough in my own country as an expat is considered better suited, either because they supposedly know more or perhaps due to cheaper labour.
Why is that? Why do we in Cayman feel that a Caymanian with the same skills, or even more, cannot do the job, run the tourism sector, or cater to the needs of our own people in a lot of industries? And no, it is not because we are not applying or well suited, because we are.
My grandfather didn’t die for anyone to stand on my neck. Yet, our necks are being stood on with a smile of acceptance, hidden behind the façade of “Cayman Kind”.
It breaks my heart to share this, and it saddens me to think of how the mental health of future generations will suffer because they may find it impossible to make Cayman their true home.
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Category: Viewpoint
I have a few follow up questions.
– Did she work for the Ritz during her summer/ winter breaks?
– Why did it take her 4 1/2 years to complete her studies vs the standard 4 years? is it possible that she did not notify the Ritz that she needed an additional 6 months to complete, and therefore they had to fill the position they were holding for her in the kitchen?
– by a show of hands, how many Caymanian students returning home from overseas studies (scholarships) either had difficulty finding work, or did find work, but the entry level pay was very low? (I raise my hand as i did secure employment, but the entry level pay was veryyyy low for the first year).
I also have a few other concerns: Timisha references that she had a passion for cooking – had she ever been/ worked in a restaurant kitchen/ commercial kitchen? had she ever spoken to a chef of a restaurant she enjoyed to determine the best way to become a chef?
Timisha also references that she was not willing to take the other positions that were offered to her from the Ritz, Kimpton and Tortuga, because she “knew her worth” is this not entitlement mindset? How can your worth of a 4 1/2 year degree be more than someone who has 10+ years experience in the field?
Sorry, but I have mixed feelings about this post when I look at it from a 3-dimensional level, and not just with my emotions.
How can you have anything negative to say about the people/ company who gave you the money to study your so called passion? even if they didnt hire you after, you wouldnt have the degree without their funding… again demonstrative of a entitled mindset.
Lastly, with a degree in culinary arts, coming home with no work, and finding yourself between a rock and a hard place and the best you can muster out is BANANA BREAD?!!!! all these parties, functions, weddings, offices, construction sites, and you telling me you couldn’t cater these places and events? you couldnt have started a lunch program/ meal services program? Even now, doesnt your sister in law own a gym, why not offer meal planning for them like the other local gym? Additionally, dont most of the local Caymanian chefs own their places vs working for someone (Scratch Gourmet, D’s Pizza, Jordey Rankine, etc).
I think both Timisha and the people who support her stance on this issue are off the mark.
That’s right. Blame the person making a complaint. This is why Caymanians can’t get ahead. Because of their own people tearing them down.
Instead of listening and trying to understand HER experience, you immediately blame her and start talking about yourself.
I can’t tell you that many more Caymanians are and have gone through exactly what she is going through.
Give me one good reason why a person with the degree that she has should acceptance a position in housekeeping with a vague assurance that she may be able to find a position in the kitchen in the next few years.
Bullshit. I understand starting at the bottom and working your way up. But when the bottom isn’t even in the field in which you qualified…what is the point of accepting such a position for 2 – 3 years? You’re not using the skills you went to school for and neither are you gaining any experience in your field.
10/03/2025 at 6:52am.
If you wanna take every cry story you hear and run with it, be my guest. Like I said, I like to ask other questions and get a better understanding. Like the saying goes, the only thing you are in control of, is yourself. Your outlook on life, your mindset, your efforts, etc.
A lot of Caymanians dont get ahead because they wanna sit and cry to the masses and get a hug from the expat/ white man!
I get her experience, she sat a test 300 times (how many times she said she handed out her resume) and failed all 300 times. Can you imagine if it took you 300 times to get your drivers licence? sure something might be wrong with the test, but if 80% of people pass and you are one of the 20% failing, the issue is you, not the test.
If she had no other work, no other income, what is wrong with accepting a job making a few dollars and still applying and interviewing elsewhere?
Facts are facts, and they do not care about your feelings. She went into a career with questionably no experience or advice on, came home again with no experience other than her degree, passed up on other opportunities and now is cussing the people who gave her the money in the first place. She wasnt black balled or black listed or anything, she just wasnt successful in applying. She could have moved right along, but now she has called out everyone and has come under eyes of scrutiny. Best of luck!
“The challenges to building a 21st century workforce“. Compass.
“Several of those who took part in the discussions also pointed to the numerous reports and consultations into the needs of various industries over the years that had gone unheeded and unacted upon for many years.”
Cayman needs DOGE department. Otherwise it will continue generating reports which would go unheeded and unacted upon.
I am still waiting for someone to hold KB accountable for his promises to transform public transportation in Cayman which did not materialise. He should pay back the cost of his trips to Jamaica and Barbados to learn how to transform Cayman public transportation.
He should be publicly called a lier for everything he had said was and is a lie.
Thanks. Very interesting article. It also links to an article about failing Cayman schools:
Workforce: https://www.caymancompass.com/2025/03/05/the-challenges-to-building-a-21st-century-workforce/
Schools: https://www.caymancompass.com/2021/03/23/rethinking-our-divided-school-system/
When you have Filipinos and Canadians are the majority of HR managers do you honestly expect Caymanians to get jobs
I am originally an expat. I have seen people come here with little funds experience or none and build a career. It’s true some firms/agents will give the job to their less qualified friends or certain nationalities (Canadian Irish etc.) or because two employers/agent have made a deal. This is a real problem in Cayman. I suggest Caymanians register with worc and apply for the work permit application or renewal. Don’t make it easy for them and also keep applying when they readvertise as they are looking for a time/space where no Caymanians apply for the permit and then put that application in.
Something that more Caymanians need to do is internships so that they have some experience before coming back from school and expecting to get the top position.
That doesn’t matter. I went through a similar experience, though not as difficult. I also studied culinary and business, during the same years, and also struggled to get a job upon my return; under the same guise of “lack of experience”. I did various internships during my schooling when I came home for summer, and even the year before I went off. An internship unfortunately doesn’t count as experience.
And we aren’t looking for a top position straight out of uni, that’s nigh impossible. She most likely applied for a cook 3 position (bottom tier) like I did and got blown off, like I did.
Reading the thread it is obvious no one cares about someone having a degree in culinary arts and certainly not in business. The only thing that matters in a kitchen is can you be useful in a kitchen under pressure and the only way anyone knows is if you’ve done it mostly by starting with the most menial job.
Read the article. This is literally the advertised Ritz Culinary Scholarship that Timisha (and others) had won. A scholarship, mentorship program, summer experiential learning placement opportunity, and a career role at the end (not in housekeeping), to advance Caymanians. Beyond the tuition, it all turned out to be smoke.
Since 2011, how many of our Ritz Carlton Scholarship recipients and graduates have been placed full time as advertised? Any? Perhaps Marc Langevin can offer his response on the materiality of this WORC permit board grease. There are many other firms that routinely play this game, where they fail to honour their agreements…how does this continue to fly at WORC?
Compass Sep 3, 2024: “From culinary school to making sandwiches”
“Stefan Ebanks’ disenchantment started during his internship at The Ritz-Carlton resort.
He worked summers at the hotel while completing his bachelor’s degree at the Johnson and Wales University culinary arts programme.
During that time, he says he worked longer hours, took overtime shifts, and never called in sick in an effort to break the prevailing perception of ‘lazy Caymanians’.
He completed his studies and obtained a master’s degree in tourism management.
In an interview with the Compass, back in 2012, Ebanks, then 18, talked about his passion for cooking and his ambitions to become a food and beverage director at The Ritz-Carlton, and Cayman’s tourism minister.
But on returning to Cayman after graduation, he found it difficult to even get onto the first rung of that career ladder.
“The best job I could get was at Subway,” he said.
“There were a few entry-level opportunities, but nothing with any mobility or chances to get into management.”
That contrasted sharply with his fellow graduates, who he saw advancing much more quickly.
He took a manager’s job at a Sweetgreen restaurant in Philadelphia and never looked back.
Ebanks now earns a high six-figure salary as director of operations for a growing food company.”
ask him what pay he was asking for at the time.
At the job he had to take at Subway? Are you serious?
no for the jobs in the other restaurants that he applied for. Lots of the story has been left out. Only the sensational aspect is included
He went to school and did not want entry level jobs after coming back. what experience did he have working? he wanted a managerial job and subway offered it… pretty simple. if you dont want to put in the work take what you get
He achieved an Honours Degree from an international prestigious Hospitality Management school. “But on returning to Cayman after graduation, he found it difficult to even get onto the first rung of that career ladder. There were a few entry-level opportunities, but nothing with any mobility or chances to advance into management.”
He won a scholarship that was supposed to deliver the opportunity side, and mentorship, beyond just the tuition. It was a sham.
You don’t need a degree. They’re usually worthless.
You don’t need a scholarship. They’re usually worthless.
See the following post, which articulates reality more eloquently than I am able to: https://caymannewsservice.com/2025/03/a-caymanians-story-of-job-hunting-in-cayman/comment-page-1/#comment-676688
there’s another (very long) comment down below about this whole issue of degrees in hospitality. The only thing worse than a bachelor’s degree in it would be a master’s degree in it.
That industry does not care one bit about how you learned to cook in college. If anything, they hold it against you.
Many of Cayman’s top restaurant managers/owners are themselves school-leavers and former waitstaff and busboys. They do not have the educational background and managerial calibration that the Ritz Culinary Scholarship Winners would already be graduating with, save for the practical on the job experience, dangled and withdrawn. The enterprise value of incorporating that fresh dynamic thinking is blocked by ego, inadequacies, and the knowledge that a cheaper and dumber alternative is just a foreign permit application away.
That’s the point that all your inarticulate rambling has missed. It’s NOT ABOUT YOUR DEGREE IN THE KITCHEN!
It’s about experience. As for cheaper and dumber: your post is written piss-poorly and comes across about as dumb as you can get.
More victim blaming. It is about the promise to deliver that experience. Where were the much-touted and PR photo-shooted “experience and mentorship” deliverables that were also supposed to form part of the Ritz Culinary Scholarship Prize, to promote Caymanians? If it happened as scheduled, why didn’t it count towards the final deliverable: a fighting chance for a promising career starting in one of the Ritz restaurants? The hand-picked winner of their prize didn’t renege on their part of the deal.
“managerial calibration”, “enterprise value”… get a grip, we’re talking about running a restaurant.
Which is a type of business. Businesses that don’t honor their scholarship promises should be so flagged by WORC on their permit applications, and their executives deducted points by the PR and Status Board. Honour your deals, or don’t make them.
Entry level potato peeler is not running a business. No one has any need for a theoretical chef and business consultant.
“We are so fortunate that Ritz-Carlton customers visiting our property can experience the culinary capital of the Caribbean,” said General Manager Marc Langevin in 2011. He added that, “It is a tremendous advantage over other Islands to be able to recommend dozens of great restaurants to our guests. The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman created the scholarship (worth up to USD$40,000 per year) so an aspiring Caymanian chef could receive a degree from one of the industries most prestigious universities and perpetuate Cayman’s reputation for great culinary experiences.”
Caymanian business owners continue to support a sub-living minimum wage for the grunt workforce, regardless of qualification and skill, while enjoying a preference for permit leverage all the way up to middle management, and often beyond. Historically that’s also included sexual misconduct that has only very recently been given a framework. Cayman needs banking revisions to remove hurdles that stand in the way of support to small business, including access to capital, and other essential commercial services that are part of the normal business owner offerings in other jurisdictions.
“Caymanian”
“Caymanian” Which includes those with status and PR, right ?
Someone that holds Caymanian status is a Caymanian. No matter how they gained it. They can vote.
A PR holder is a Permanent Resident with the right to live and work in Cayman. They cannot vote.
“Devil’s Advocate” comment is very insightful, though I don’t agree with everything, therefore it deserves to be analyzed, point by point to figure out the employment problems young Caymanians face.
The Self-awareness point is something I never thought of.
This view point is not about just this particular woman, it is about systemic, fundamental issues Cayman has, but refuses to admit or even understand.
It is difficult to understand why in the course of 10 years nobody has helped this ambitious young woman (and others) to figure out why she was not getting job offers. I am talking about potential employers, employment agencies (I truly HATE employment agencies), governmental officials, etc.
Ignoring a job seeker after he/she applied for a job must not be allowed. Everyone deserves at least an acknowledgment. It is HR’s job to treat everyone humanely.
While constructive criticism is welcomed, making assumptions about this woman, criticizing her is not. Her viewpoint represents many systemic problems which need to be identified, analyzed and addressed.
There is no mystery to solve here, it’s tragically simple: Caymanian business owners want to exercise full financial and vocational dominion over their foreign hires, at competitive below living-wage rates – or send them packing. There aren’t supposed to be any Caymanians qualified and willing in these service categories, as it upsets this indentured apparatus. There’s no hiring room for upwardly mobile dreams, fairness, and rights. It’s much easier to lie, and/or pretend she doesn’t exist/matter, ie continue the default business owner settings for the Cayman Islands. She is chasing a dream to compete against lower tier foreign workers, and very likely without her excellent qualifications, when she should seek partnership in a restaurant startup – also a very difficult and competitive space.
did an excellent Caymanian lady not just get promoted to Assistant General Manager at the Ritz? Worked her way up from bottom I believe. Hard work and paying your dues actually works sometimes rather than saying I went to university I should be the person hired as the general manager at 22
You forget that she already won the scholarship that promised mentorship, work experience, and a staff position (perhaps junior). She held her end, earned an honours degree, just like the other winners that the Ritz disavowed, and was then offered a housekeeping position. Not the deal.
the scholarship gets you a foot in the door, not a director role! Put in the work. do the maples scholarships get you automatic partner?
No, but they certainly get you more than a job making $6.50/hr.
You don’t get it. If you read the decade plus of PR press releases and photo ops from the Ritz hotel manager and their marketing department, the winner of the Ritz Culinary Scholarship is supposed to receive not only the university tuition, but access to their mentorship programs, summer (paid) placement with qualifying on-the-job experience, and a graduating career within their culinary network of Ritz franchises. It was designed and promoted as a way to support and nurture Caymanian talent, or at least that’s what Marc Langevin wanted WORC to believe. Their hand-selected recipients put in the work and graduated with Honours from top hospitality universities. Instead of the promised opportunity and mentorship, the actual outcomes were a housekeeper cart and/or Subway sandwich artist apprenticeship. It’s abundantly clear the Ritz (like so many other corporate WORC permit schemes) hasn’t been honouring their own deals, even to their own chosen and touted winners. If it were your own kid that had won the Scholarship program, and put in the prescribed work, you’d be livid from the brazen betrayal. That’s what this is, a WORC sham revealed.
Employment agencies are overrated. I hate them all was well! When I was starting my career in the US, they treated me disrespectfully, to say the least. I found employment all by myself and was steadily progressing in every job that I held.
People who work at employment agencies are losers who pretend they are experts.
I’m glad this young lady put the time in to write and share this story and had the courage to put her name to it, as many Op-eds hide behind some pseudonym.
This story feels like a genuine struggle to find your footing in your country and in your desired profession; and that is a very real and difficult place to be.
That said, I think it’s important to highlight that this story is not unique to Cayman and Caymanians and it’s not really accurate to state that your difficulty finding a job is due to being Caymanian.
I worked very briefly for one of the hotels, where I would learn a couple things about the hospitality industry.
1. They do not care one tiny bit about any degrees that anyone has in that field. As a matter of fact many of them will laugh in your face about your degree. Getting a degree to be a cook is unfortunately one of the worst ideas you could have been given. Most of these chefs and cooks have been working in kitchens prepping potatoes or whatever since they were 14-15 years old. If they have formal education its at a culinary school. They do not get Bachelor’s degrees in culinary arts, and they will despise you for having done so and thinking you’re better than they are. It’s quite an arrogant reality and many of them are absolute divas and jerks. But this experience is universal and not due to you being Caymanian.
2. They absolutely 100% hire and promote the hell out of hardworking Caymanians. I can’t tell you how many Caymanians with zero experience started at the Ritz, or Kimpton as a front desk clerk or a valet or a landscaper and were in supervisor roles within a year and management within 2. Anyone who tells you otherwise is one of the bitter ones. I’ve been there and seen behind the curtain and as much as everyone loves to pile on to the hotels and tell their story of being wronged by them, the reality is that any hardworking Caymanian in the major hotels of the Cayman Islands is thriving.
Your experience out of school is also not unique. I graduated in 2005 in the USA and sent my resume to 100s of entry level job openings, tailored specifically for new college graduates. I went to every career fair and gave my resume to everyone I could. I got 0 calls to interview in 3 months. A recruiter found me and placed me somewhere. After 5 years working at that company I wanted to move up in the world to a bigger one and tried my hand again (this time with an added master’s degree) and again I had almost zero luck. Dozens of jobs applied to and only two interviews. One was a massive step down professionally that a recruiter sent me to (and for which I will never work with that recruiter again) and they other was for a potentially great role; that role however, would require me to take a pay cut and a step down professionally and work my way back up the ladder. I didn’t love that idea.
Job hunting is intense. You’re competing with hundreds or thousands of people. Statistically speaking, you’re bound to be up against people more qualified than you, for any role, at anytime, anywhere, in any field. Being the #1 person out of 1000 is very unlikely. So, that’s where you’re starting from and it takes more than just being good to beat out everyone in that pool of 100 or 1000 applicants. It’s hard, and it sucks, everywhere.
Coming out of college qualifies you for pretty much nothing, by definition, except the bottom of the barrel. In the hospitality world, the bottom of the barrel is not the kitchen. It’s housekeeping, valet, stewarding, landscaping etc. You could have taken that housekeeping gig at the Ritz and I guarantee within 6 months you’d be in the kitchen (12 months at most).
Then it sounds like you had your little catering/private chef company which is great. You should be really proud of having built that and run it while you did. That said, there are several of those companies which did not go out of business, which means they were better at this than you were. Which means when you’re interviewing for new jobs, you still have not been working in a true restaurant environment and commercial kitchen, and that your one foray into that field was self-employed until your company failed. I take no joy in saying it, but that is not a good look on a resume. And unfortunately, you’re still about as qualified as you were when you left school.
The reality is, I think you’ve been given some really bad (or zero) career advice. Starting with a Bachelor’s degree in culinary, to not taking what you could at the Ritz, to starting your own thing when you probably weren’t equipped to do so. Restaurants in this country go bust all the time, these owners need the best they can possibly get to run their kitchens and that means they’re recruiting the best with a very high bar. If you can’t clear the bar (and you’re resume and experience does not suggest you can) then the recruitment goes overseas and your competition is now professional cooks and chefs from all over the world.
Your story is tragic, and it really upset me to read it. I can feel your frustration in your words and I can sense the betrayal you feel. However, this betrayal is twisted. There are absolutely without a doubt some Caymanians who are marginalized in this country. But the true level of marginalization is grossly amplified by those who seek to keep us divided. CMR, and politicians all benefit from Caymanians being angry about this, because it’s an easy talking point.
Remember the riff-raff fence? Why does anyone, anywhere, put up a gate or fence? The answer is: “to keep out troublemakers” replace “troublemakers” with riff raff, thieves, burglars etc. To say the fence is there for the riff raff does not in any universe mean that “riff-raff=all Caymanians”. When you put a lock on your front door, who is it for? Is it for every Caymanian (or resident) or is it specifically for the wrongdoers, the troublemakers, and the riff raff? Every single one of us has a lock on the front door for the riff raff, and I don’t think that anyone, ever, has thought to themselves that ALL Caymanians are riff raff so I’m locking my door.
The indigo diver guy is an absolute moron and asshat, not because of this fence but because he wore friggin blackface. But the issue with this fence and the riff raff would have been absolutely nothing if Sandra Hill and CMR hadn’t blown it up. Then all of a sudden you have politicians visiting the site and protesters…because someone locked a door? And then she turns it into another us vs them fire and pours gasoline on it, why? So that people will watch/listen to her show and she will get paid. She gets paid by the viewer so it is in her interest to create and stoke division and controversy. It lines her pockets. Every politician will shout “Caymanians First!” because it will get them elected and line their pockets; and they will do nothing for you (as they always have).
Now after that tangent about the fence and back to your job. If you really want to get a job in a kitchen I promise it can be done. There are plenty of Caymanians in kitchens and some very good chefs doing very well for themselves. Thomas Tennant comes to mind. You can do it; but your failure thus far is not because you’re Caymanian. Which frankly, is good news. Your failure thus far is that you do not have the experience, and have been given crappy career advice. You can fix that. So fix it, and succeed, and write another op-ed in 5 years when you have your own kitchen and restaurant. Don’t let this false narrative hold you back; it’s just a disservice to yourself, and no government or politician is going to fix that in a way that gets you to your goal.
One of the best posts EVER written on CNS. Well done.
ANON for premier!!! so well said and real.
very true. Even the road rage incident has been made so much worse by CMR. There is nobody on this earth, Caymanian or Expat who thinks that the fat stupid blonde ass shouldn’t have been arrested and had his ass kicked.
That issue was not about expats vs Caymanians…that specific expat ass needed to be whooped and every other expat would have stood there and applauded.
The problem is with an incompetent police force. Think for a second when the last time you were impressed or even satisfied that the RCIPS hit the bare minimum for doing their job.
Think about every interaction you’ve had or story you’ve read about the police, and then think about your interactions with expats/Caymanians and ask yourself which is more likely: that expats and Caymanians hate and don’t respect each other, or that the RCIPS is incompetent?
And instead of making it about RCIPS incompetence, CMR makes it about us vs them. And everybody eats it up, hook, line and sinker.
Sandra Hill and CMR is a scourge on our country, masquerading as some force for transparency and good. Wolf in sheep’s clothing.
CMR is nothing more that a mafia. She trashes people and businesses and then holds them hostage to pay her big buck to shop the daily trash talk. It started with Wayne and his Catron Party promotion. The spin she tries to make her daft listeners swallow about the quitter’s is laughable.
Remember the days she used to trash Dart – every chance she got. One day it changed and she now sings their praises. The most recent case is CUC. She has only good things to say about the company that is robbing us blind. Even testimonials from the CEO are blasted almost daily.
Sandra’s child attends CIS at $30K tuition a year. She drives a new high end SUV, she recently bought a duplex in WB she rents out. All that the basic salary she claims she earns. I call BS – that’s hush $$
THE ONLY WAY TO STOP HER EXTORTION IS TO STOP LISTENING to CMR.
Amazing response! Hit all the nails on the head.
PS. you should have put your name to it as well!
Consider that she was selected as the Ritz Culinary Scholarship Winner. The Ritz already picked her, and that deal included financial backing for school, mentorship, qualifying summer experience, and a graduation job placement. She earned an honours degree at a prestigious hospitality school, and was offered a feather duster and a housekeeping cart. That’s the discussion.
Consider also that the Ritz paid for her to get it. An employer paid for the schooling of someone who was not employed by them…that’s unheard of. And yes when she graduated she was NOT qualified to be in the kitchen. And being too impatient to work her way up, took her ball and went home. Started her own thing, and failed. And now still has no qualifications besides the degree that someone else paid for.
Yes, so what? Paying for tuition was part of the much-hyped photo-shoot prize. The other experiential learning and mentorship parts? Undelivered smoke and BS to appease WORC. All too common.
but did she learn how to run a business? doesnt appear so
You’re the type of Caymanian to lay out a red carpet to let foreigners walk all over us. The riff raff issue was deeper than “us vs them” as you portray.
Stand up! We are being replaced by people who demand you to not say “unna” or eat turtle meat. You are WEAK. 50000 words to pander to expats who do not care about assimilating, only coming here to turn these islands into little Miami.
I am sorry for the bluntness CNS but “Caymanians” like this make me ashamed. I would never fight a war alongside the likes of this commenter.
You are the type of Caymanian who is so ignorant you have no idea how backwards this country would be without the educated Caymanians and expats who keep it running.
Nobody cares if you say “unna”. Say it all you want. Eat all the turtle you want; nobody cares about the turtle meat except that it costs taxpayers (all of us) a fortune to subsidize this program…which is only necessary because ignorant fools like you hunted the damn things to local extinction.
You wouldn’t be eating any damn turtle, because of your own stupid overfishing, if it weren’t for all the tourists and all the expat taxes that fund the turtle center. You idiot.
You realize also that Caymanians are going extinct on their own right?
The Caymanian population growth rate by procreation was last published at .93 or .91 or something like that. Which means for every Caymanian alive today there is less than 1 which will be alive in the next generation.
You rant and rave about a red carpet being put out to replace Caymanians and don’t realize that without any immigration, Caymanians are going extinct. So, what do you want to do: play nice with the expats, or slowly let the country just fade into nothingness in a few generations?
You have raised many good points. But I would like to mention one that I don’t think has been explored.
My grandson has been cooking/winning cooking competitions (local and international since he was 12. He doesn’t have a degree but he worked his way up to Assistant Chef.
Do you want to know his pay? $10 an hour. He’s 24 years old. Now explain to me how he is supposed to be able to rent an apartment, buy a piece of land, invest in is future at $10 an hour?
Blame CAYMANIAN politicians!
Elected by CAYMANIAN voters!!
It’s YOUR fault.
All YOUR fault.
Your fault.
FFS, this isn’t difficult: increase the minimum wage to, e.g. CI$ 20/hour, and allow Caymanians to get the same opportunities which presently only expats from very poor countries will countenance.
But your politicians won’t increase the minimum wage, because they are corrupt and enjoy exploiting people for a pittance.
Wow! Just wow…for the young lady’s experience and for some of the hateful commentators who don’t get her point. She is one of many with that experience.
Young lady, I sympathize with you. Ignore the detractors and hope you land on your feet.
Julienning veg at the Ritz might be just a bit more refined than the minimum wage imported chop and dice skill set that is exploited at most of Cayman’s prep counters. Timisha should look to expand her skills and service knowledge in a larger culinary market, and come back to write her own Michelin star journey. DoT/Chamber, CIMA and Eric Ripert should support her on tooling-up for this rare quest.
Education has become a booming business. You can get ‘degrees’ in some very weird fields. I am an old pensioner now. In my time, only the brightest of the bright went to university. My elders always advised me to get a trade. After all, we can’t all be Doctors, lawyers and accountants. Look where we are today with shortages in the trades. My point is, mine served me well throughout my life. If you want to become a culinary expert you don’t need a university education, there are schools and apprenticeships for this, often with links to potential employers. Some of my school friends did go to culinary school but none of them made it big, I think it is one of those jobs you do more for the passion than money.
I’m not bashing you AT ALL but I wish Caymanians would lose the will to have kids. You already had a daughter when you went to school then you came back and had another one. It makes things so much harder for you. Wait until you have your life together. I don’t say this to sound cruel but honesty is needed in situations like this. All the best to you Xx.
If this was meant to not bash a Caymanian, then you would have simply said something else.. maybe ‘young people’, maybe ‘as a parent already’. Instead you said Caymanians.
Who said her children aren’t supported and taken care of? You obviously don’t know this woman.
Shame on you! Who are you to decide when it is her time to have kids? I had my first child at 18, was already married, had a job and was taking evening classes at University. I graduated, had another child and succeeded in every job I held, including a job in Cayman.
Having kids young should be encouraged, not scolded. Before 30 for sure. Kids born to the young parents are healthier, young parents have energy and grandparents are still young to be part of the kids’ lives.
Young parents also struggle like hell.
You know you would never have the balls to say something like that to her and or any other Caymananian’s face for that matter, and actually I dare you to do so. You bright and facesty even as an Anonymous comment.
when Cayman marl road says it, it is fine though….
You actually listen to that tripe?
Observing the responses here only serves to highlight the very point Caymanians are making. Many of the commenters themselves migrated to these islands seeking a better life, a sustainable lifestyle that their birth countries couldn’t provide. Caymanians are facing a similar struggle, but with a crucial difference: their home is limited to these three small islands. Unlike larger nations or communities, this is all they have.
For this reason, before posting negative comments, or commenting at all, please consider the experiences shared by this young lady and countless other locals. If any Caymanians are commenting without support, they should be ashamed. Their behavior exemplifies the ‘crab in the barrel’ mentality, hindering their own country man/woman progress.
This is a story of a Caymanian that cannot be hired for work in the Cayman Islands, where all the employers are by law Caymanians. Make that make sense.
“Caymanians”
That’s is inaccurate. Fact is many larger employers (companies) in the private sector are run by non-Caymanians.
So sad that this is the case. I had a similar experience in a different industry.
If you see this please try applying to Mario’s as I believe they are currently hiring for a variety of roles (at least they were a few weeks ago)
You should quit looking for a hospitality job.
Maybe try the finance industry. They pay very well and hire Caymanians.
To the person above who spoke about her daughter.
Ok you shared a perspective hooray for you. I understand that the timing and content may raise questions, but I am sure her intention in sharing these experiences is to shed light on personal challenges and to foster understanding and dialogue, not to dwell in a “victim mentality.” Every family has its own unique journey, and it’s important to acknowledge both the struggles and successes they face along the way.
I find it deeply inappropriate and upsetting that you chose to mention her daughter and her school tuition in such a negative light. This is a personal matter and has no relevance to the point I was making.
Are you suggesting that her daughter should not attend a school that came to the Cayman Islands and offered her a scholarship for track and field, where she proudly represents the Cayman Islands?
It’s disheartening to see that instead of engaging in a constructive conversation, your response focuses on making assumptions and personal attacks. It’s important to approach these discussions with the intent to understand, not just react. When we fail to do that, we perpetuate negativity and division. Criticizing others without truly listening to their perspective only contributes to the problem, and I would encourage you to reflect on that. It’s crucial to have respectful conversations, especially when it comes to addressing important issues.
Welcome to real life. Work is called work because its not fun. You made a decision to quit your good paying job to pursue a job that you enjoy.
Firstly, you made a stupid decision. Secondly, what at all does this even remotely have to do with being Caymanian?
As a Caymanian, this is extremely relatable. I had a same situation where I received a government scholarship to study a science degree only to be told that I don’t have any experience in the field of work so the government themself couldn’t hire me… make that make sense. The same organization that is funding your education isn’t able to place you in a role related to the field studied. I’m now working in a totally different field and don’t see any chance of using my degree that was paid for by the Government.
Yes, correct. CIG squanders immense amounts of money on qualifications for which there is no likely utility on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean.
Stop paying for scholarships.
Why? So we can go back to the previous part of the exclusion cycle, which is that we aren’t educated enough to compete? You don’t see it because you are on the outside looking in, but there are fundamental flaws with the way things are.
There is merit to some complaints, but not most of them.
Valid complaints:
1. Labour market inefficiencies. There is objective evidence of market inefficiencies, particularly in information asymmetry and misaligned incentives. Government scholarship recipients often return to a job market that doesn’t need their qualifications.
2. Educational outcomes gap. School inspection data objectively demonstrates that Caymanian students predominantly attend lower-performing schools, while expatriate children attend higher-performing institutions.
3. Economic reality of small market. The limited size of the Cayman economy creates structural constraints on job creation, particularly for entry-level positions. This is an objective market limitation.
4. Skills mismatch. Data supports the existence of a genuine skills gap between local job seekers’ qualifications and market demands, particularly in specialised fields.
5. Sectoral limitations: The economic reality that finance offers substantially higher margins than tourism or hospitality is objectively true, limiting earning potential in certain sectors regardless of nationality.
6. Immigration-based revenue model. CIG derives significant revenue from work permit fees, creating a fiscal incentive to maintain expat employment that sometimes conflicts with local employment goals.
Some aspects of the situation also represent unavoidable economic realities:
1. Performance distribution. As noted in one comment, any population will naturally distribute along a performance curve. The small size of the Caymanian workforce means that not all local candidates will be competitive for all positions.
2. Global competition. In a globalised economy, Caymanians must compete with international talent. This is not discrimination but economic reality: employers rationally seek the most qualified candidates.
3. Small market constraints. As a small island territory, the Cayman Islands inherently lacks the economic scale to generate sufficient opportunities across all sectors and specialisations. This fundamental constraint means some level of brain drain is inevitable.
4. Comparative advantage logic. The high-margin financial services sector will always offer better compensation than tourism or hospitality due to basic economic principles of productivity and value-added. Individuals must adapt to this reality regardless of nationality.
5. Price mechanism in housing. The high cost of living in Cayman reflects market realities of limited land supply and high demand. This cannot be artificially corrected without creating market distortions.
Summary
The most problematic aspects of the situation are government policies that distort market mechanisms (segregated education, scholarships for degrees for which there are unlikely to be any actual jobs available, lack of training for blue collar jobs such as electricians, air conditioning maintenance, etc.). Most complaints however simply reflect natural market outcomes that can only be mitigated through adaptation rather than intervention. The optimal approach involves reducing distortions while enabling Caymanians to better compete in an open market through improved education and skills development. E.g. vastly improve the basic level of education, from the current appalling levels, and limit overseas scholarships to only areas (a) where there is likely to be a relevant job in the Cayman Islands; and (b) the individual scholarship candidate is likely to be competitive (“Caymanian” is not, in and of itself, a qualification!).
That’s the problem, can’t even get a bit of sympathy let alone a job. This place is becoming disgusting.
What good is sympathy going to do you? Why are you so desperate for a hug from a stranger. Got off your @$$ and grow some b@ll$.
“Bachelor’s in Culinary Arts, Food and Beverage Service Management”
This is honestly the problem. Degrees for professions that dont need degrees. Apart from jobs that actually require academic degrees – lawyer, doctor, accountant ect (which even in the UK are now being replaced in part with apprenticeships – law for example), i’m firmly of the opinion that 95% of these degrees are a waste of time and provide little to no practical benefit in the workplace.
This is less about degrees and more about the open secret in Cayman Hospitality with very few exceptions:
Most hospitality businesses would rather pay permit fees for wage slaves than have someone local despite the initial cost saving with more power to leave for another job.
It’s that simple.
Work permit fees in hospitality need to be a lot closer if not on par with those in the Financial Services if you want Caymanians to be hired.
Otherwise, the low wages and control over the employee are too appealing.
This isn’t accurate at all. Go look at hospitality wages in most places globally are low. It’s one of the lowest paying industries globally. And with the exception of the really fancy stuff in certain pockets, it’s never high paying.
Most hotel chains are publicly traded at this point, usually under marriott (stock ticker MAR) or Hilton (HLT). You can see what their NET margins are and they are very slim.
Why do you think hotels go bankrupt so often?
if it is so simple the solution is also simple. Make work permits transferable. (Subject to a pro rated payment by the new employer and a refund to the previous of wp fees). Problem solved.
Excellent idea. Why hasn’t this already been adopted?
Caymanian politicians appear to have created the problem by making work permits non-transferable; they can fix it by making them transferable to a new employer. Thereafter, hiring expats to be slaves won’t be attractive to employers, and they will all embrace recruiting Caymanians for whom they don’t need to pay work permit fees.
That seems like a win-win for everyone. What am I missing?
A number of MP’s have side businesses that employ lots of low wage expats.
It’s self evident.
So let me get this right; you interviewed at the Kimpton. You were great on paper and in person and the manager said you would not be hired because you are “too much of a threat”. Have you thought about giving up catering and writing fairy tales for a living instead?
Exactly. Any local with some sort of skill that doesn’t call in sick twice a week has either a well paid job or runs their own business. Any society around the globe has a certain percentage of ‘unemployables’ for various reasons
I think the Tortuga family should respond and explain how or why they could use/steal your ideas.
They do it all the time. Happened to me, did an elaborate proposal costing $2k on a different element, won’t even call me back.
Disgusting, karma is something they say.
To sell to the cruise passengers they’re anxious to have , pushing for piers with Kenneth.
As a Jamaican owned business , $1500 a month is presented as a good salary for their Jamaican employees.
So they offered you a job in the catering industry and “they expected me to work weekends”. You poor thing.
You missed the point…. she was saying they expected her to work weekends for the compensation they offered not that she had to work weekends period. She works weekends as an entrepreneur now. If you slow, just say that!
You forgot the part about $1500
Who sets the minimum wage?
CAYMANIANS!
Whose fault is it?
CAYMANIANS!
“Caymanians”
All Caymanian politicians are so-called “Multi-generational Caymanians”.
They have done *SO* well over the past 25 years I have lived here. Where would we be without the stunning achievements of JonJon’s driving, JuJu’s CI$500,000-per-head Brac “JuJu Memorial School”, Kenneth’s Barbados flights, Mac’s status grants, etc.
I have status, but I truly respect that per the Cayman Creed I am only a transitional interloper.
Only until three generations of umbilical cords have been buried in the Caymanian soil of S̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ Five Mile Beach is one bestowed with the mystical honor of participating in the holy ritual of dropping a mL of blood into a dead conch shell on a full moon night while riding a donkey through Jerusa- I mean Bodden Town. Once you throw said conch shell into the harbor you’re now considered a Blood Caymanian, and you too can drink-drive with impunity, block political financing transparency laws, destroy your children’s educational system, whip up xenophobia to mask your own incompetence and corruption, and embrace the sweet, sweet taste of expat work permit fees which allow you to live like Caymanian Royalty, lording it over the peasants who you tricked into electing you.
Limiting political candidates to multi-generational Caymanians seems like a great system! With the best of intentions!! What could possibly go wrong!!! But it’s the system you have, so yes, responsibility for the exploitative minimum wage lies solely and exclusively at the feet of Caymanian politicians.
did we not do an assessment and it was suggested minimum wage should be $8 per hour? which brings it to….wait for it….$1280 a month if you work 40 hours a week. SO they offered $9.38 per hour first then offered $10 per hour. Current Min wage is $6 so that is a lot more then min wage. Fix min wage to a livable wage, then all the salaries will sort themselves out.
Of course expats are taking this strong message as an attack on their precious work permits. Don’t worry you’re safe. Have some empathy. Things were a lot different in 2017. It was also stronglyyyy encouraged to do jobs in the tourism field. I was. This is not an attack on expats. This is someone sharing their experience in the job hunt while being a Caymanian. There are a lot of loopholes that employers use to renew work permits. We are all aware of this, stop acting dense. Change is coming. If you don’t like it, you know where the ORIA is. The comment about her child being in boarding school? Please mind your business.
Sadly I don’t think change is coming and I worry for my children. What future are they going to have when these drunks from the UK come over here, taking OUR jobs, buying OUR land…sitting in bars during the workday getting liquored up and rubbing it in our faces! yet when we speak out, they call us entitled!!!!
Buying OUR land – from Caymanians that are happy to sell it presumably. Perhaps we should pass a law prohibiting Caymanians from selling to non Caymanians – bet that would be popular.
LMAO!!! Aren’t you silly.
How is Jon Jon, Ken Ken, McKeewa eewa..
and on and on…
YOUR jobs?! Ha ha ha ha ha!
What jobs have multigenerational Caymanians created, other than taxing expats?!
I’ll wait.
The Cayman Islands is a self-governing British Overseas Territory. Not your country, not your decision, know your place!
Ok, that’s a little much. Like you, I suspect there’s more to the story. For starters. It sounds like she had a good job but left it to pursue a “dream.” It’s not uncommon for that not to work out. But I don’t doubt that Cayman is the author’s home.
Ironically, part of the solution would be to increase protections for expat workers in hospitality. In particular by making it easier for workers to change jobs. This would increase competition among employers who would have to improve pay and conditions. Caymanians would benefit from the general improvement in pay and conditions too, and it would be harder for cheap foreign labour to undercut them.
Increasing pay will help for sure, but allowing immigrants to job hop is an absolutely atrocious idea I cannot see how it would benefit Caymanians in any capacity. Can you explain that one?
This whole concept of “job hopping is bad” needs to go.
I have changed employers several times in my 20 years on this island due to their unsafe, unsavory, and straight up illegal “requests”
When you prohibit employees from changing employers, you are enabling the employers to abuse their employees.
And relevant to this entire discussion allowing employers to ‘own’ employees WP makes those employees more attractive to sh1tty employers.
In order to increase market rates the labour force needs leverage of some kind. The ability to change jobs is that leverage. Denying most of the workforce that flexibility (or making it difficult) removes the impetus for employers in that industry to improve pay and conditions. Caymanians who want to participate in the industry must do so at the prevailing conditions, which are unattractive because of these dynamics (on top of hospitality being generally badly paid the world over). People won’t job hop if their pay and conditions are acceptable to begin with.
>”allowing immigrants to job hop is an absolutely atrocious idea”
If this is how you think, you are unsalvageable. People move jobs all the time in the First World. Both employers’ and employees’ requirements evolve. Further, the ability to move jobs protects employees from abuse.
Why should it be any different here? You seem to want to create an army of coolies and slaves, who employers can abuse at will. It’s truly mind-blowing how backward this mindset is. No wonder no one wants to employ you lot.
What I am missing?
The idiots will vote against that because they see restrictions as putting immigrants in their place. Ironic indeed that it is these restrictions that make WP labour more attractive to employers.
Ok, can we cut the crap please? If you want to work here at home in the Cayman Islands AND make a decent living, you have to educate yourself to work in the financial industry. Period. Let’s stop the bleeding heart crap and wake up. In the restaurant industry, the margins are super thin. In the tourism industry, the margins are super thin. They can’t pay you what YOU want. I get it that culinary is your passion, but you can’t get blood from a stone. You want to live and earn well in the Cayman Islands? Work in finance. Hundreds of well educated people come here from around the world every year to work in our financial industry. Prepare yourself to compete with them! Period.
Caymanian is not a qualification. Get the proper qualifications to work in the one industry we have that pays well. Finance. Life is a competition whether you’re here in the Cayman Islands or anywhere else in world. Compete or die. That’s how life works.
You sound like a “paper” Caymanian who got lucky kissing the white man’s a$$ for work… show some pride and stand up with your people! kmt
Let me guess 6:28. You are childless, own either multiple cats or a dog, and have bitterness towards religion.
In the tourism industry, the margins are super thin. They can’t pay you what YOU want. I get it that culinary is your passion, but you can’t get blood from a stone. You want to live and earn well in the Cayman Islands? Work in finance. Hundreds of well educated people come here from around the world every year to work in our financial industry. Prepare yourself to compete with them! Period.
What happens when the margins get thin in finance?
outsource to a cheaper jurisdiction
Many jobs in finance/banking have been outsourced. Butterfield’s to Halifax Canada for example.
The slow collapse has already begun. This is because CIG is spending like drunken sailors and it takes that money from the financial services sector.
Look at the Economics and Statistics Office (ESO) August 2022 report about how many banks and trusts moved off island compared to the previous year:
“Banks & Trusts: The total value of international banking assets domiciled in the Cayman Islands declined by 12.9 percent to US$518.3 billion in 2021 relative to the previous year. Similarly, international liabilities domiciled locally fell by 13.0 percent to US$517.5billion (see Table 4.1). The Islands’ financial system had cross-border assets of US$503.0 billion, a decline of 13.1 percent, and liabilities of $470.8 billion, a decline of 12.5 percent relative to end-2020.“
https://www.eso.ky/UserFiles/page_docums/files/uploads/the_cayman_islands_annual_economic_repor-7.pdf, page 27.
See the Financial Times article, “Singapore and Hong Kong vie to be the Caymans (sic) of Asia” which notes:
“The two cities have set up new fund structures to lure wealth away from traditional offshore financial centres… Singapore established the Variable Capital Company, a fund structure that allows a wide range of potential users to shelter large pools of capital in discreet, lightly taxed wrappers domiciled in a well-regulated financial centre… Investor take-up, particularly in Singapore, has been rapid. The bankers, fund managers and lawyers involved in setting them up say their impact could be far more widespread and more disruptive than previously imagined, drawing assets and expertise into the region… The new vehicles represent a direct challenge to traditional offshore finance centres whose success has been built on privacy and low taxes and whose economies are heavily dependent on the revenue generated by financial services… Singaporean authorities, frustrated at the tendency of local fund managers to register investment vehicles offshore rather than in Singapore itself, launched the rival VCC in 2020. It made it easier for overseas and domestic entities to register an investment vehicle in Singapore… For Singapore the rush to establish the new structures has been especially pronounced. “Prior to 2020 the vast majority of Singaporean managers had their funds in offshore jurisdictions such as the Cayman Islands, Mauritius or Luxembourg. Now the tables have turned,” says Mahip Gupta, a partner at Singapore-based Dhruva Advisors.“ Since the Variable Capital Company structure was introduced, most have chosen Singapore as their fund domiciliation hub.””
https://archive.is/20240912142543/https://www.ft.com/content/88e20280-bb6e-4209-ae76-d7183c60ff62, 20 March 2023.
Seems you’re overlooking the limited opportunities and academic access for Caymanians in the financial sector. Not everyone is destined to be a lawyer or accountant, and your perspective demonstrates a clear disconnect from the realities Caymanians face.
Second, it’s undeniable that expatriates are thriving in our tourism and hospitality industry, often surpassing the success of long standing Caymanian workers.
The opportunities in the financial (aka legal and accounting) in Cayman for Caymanians are frankly unbelievable. Very few would get even close to a look in, in New York or London. This is a great thing, but lets not pretend we’re hard done by. Hospitality, I have no idea, sounds awful for everyone Caymanian and expat alike.
I love your comment. But has anyone assessed why expats are thriving and we are not? and not just the regular I am getting screwed over for the gf of the manager or the cousin of the chef? who is giving good service? who picks up the extra shifts when someone calls out sick? who is calling out sick? who has willingly learned the menu and can describe all the scotch we carry? Might explain better who is succeeding
You are an idiot if you thing the financial industry can employ every Caymanian that wants a living wage!
This is because we have the foxes guarding the hen houses, with some in our own government believing this a not a problem. Why are all the “recruitment” firms, fully stocked with expat workforce? Show me another island in the Caribbean where this is the norm, Cayman politicians have dropped the ball and so has the leaders of the immigration ministry. If you have any sense, those in charge or our tourism and immigration ministry should be almost guaranteed to be voted out.
It’s only a problem for you when you’re not got the job you want and you all need someone to blame. Look in the mirror and ask yourself, why can they do the job I want? you’ll find you haven’t got the skill set or the work ethic. But it’s not your fault, blame your forefathers for not showing you what a proper days work was instead of getting rich selling land to foreigners.
if you feel you have been discriminated against or treated unfairly, there is a host of cig agencies that can address the issue.
not sure if cns is your best option…
I feel that this isn’t actually that much of an issue and more an effort to stir up more trouble with work permit holders…. hate is hate at the end of the day!
Exodus 20:17 “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.”
Covet? You ran from the swamp of whatever country you are from with a boat of exposure to compete against indigenous people from a small island nation with limited access to resources etc. And then you flourish in their backyard while things remain the same for them, yet they are coveting?
There’s no history of indigenous people on the island.
Well ding ding ding specialist subject winner “state the obvious” …just like where you are from your family wasn’t indigenous. But I believe what the writer meant is that long standing generational Caymanians are very much disenfranchised.
>”You ran from the swamp of whatever country you are from with a boat of exposure to compete against…”
Surely some mistake? The swampland was Cayman, which hard-working expats kindly developed, in so doing rescuing the poor, benighted natives from their third world, mosquito-ridden tin shacks?
And what is a “boat of exposure”? The dictionary says:
“Exposure. Noun. A physical condition resulting from being outside in severe weather conditions without adequate protection. E.g. “He died of exposure at 8,000 feet””
I’m unsure what that has to do with either boats, or the topic of the conversation – please do enlighten us.
well that’s one side of the story.
This was a gracious and kind review of the experience! They won’t hire Caymanians because they would have to obey the Labour laws. Most permit holder work 6 days a week and often split shifts totaling over ten hours a day and no overtime pay. They do it because if they complain their permit is t renewed. Yes some Caymanians are not cut out for the hospitality industry but go look at the hotels mentioned as well as the latest one opened. It was advertising Caymanian applicants only and there is not a Caymanian in sight!
First mistake was leaving a job to go to culinary school.
Since the inception of Food TV cooking schools have filled up with dreamers hoping to be the one who makes a difference in the industry with their “unique” love of food.
In reality, they leave school with massive student debt only to step into an industry full of low paying positions and harsh conditions.
If you are one of the few who lasts in the industry after culinary school, it takes years to rise the top executive position and guess what? The pay is poor at that level as well and the hours are antisocial.
It is such a shame! A family member + many others I am aware of are still not able to get jobs. All you can hear is “you are overqualified and/or you don’t have the experience. How can a person get experience if they are not willing to hire them even at an entry/junior level so they can get experience. A person fresh out of University surely would not have years of experience. It is absolutely ridiculous and this is something the politicians should address.
listen, not all firms can hire junior staff to be trained up. Mine for example is too small. I need rock stars in every role from top to bottom or we can’t compete (that’s because my competitors have also hired rock stars from top to bottom). We’re too small to be training people.
This is the nature of a tiny island nation. There’s not enough volume in the job market to absorb all these junior staff. And if you take 100 random Caymanians, by definition half will perform above average and half will perform below average (that’s how averages and bell curves work). So half of any given subset of people will be below average performers, and I can’t afford to have any below average performers on my payroll. Neither can any private company.
Which is why people who perform below average repeatedly lose their jobs. For permit holders this means eventually they wash out and go home. For Caymanians, they wash out and work for Government.
Why do you think the government has such a high performance of subpar workers? Have you been impressed by any government services lately (or ever)? No…because all the consistently underperforming Caymanians end up there.
And then they write op-eds or comment on CNS about how the system is rigged and they’ve all been wronged by this company or that hotel. Look around at some of the high performing and successful Caymanians and ask them about how they got there.
Look at CUC and their executive management. Look at the water company. They’re both public companies and their executive salaries are published. Ask those folks how they got where they got. Look at Butterfield and CNB and their VPs and executive leadership…plenty Caymanians. Ask them how they got there.
They do not have this fabricated excuse of “the world is against me”.
Everyone with that excuse (globally) is full of it. Here, just as much as anywhere else.
Successive governments have created and maintained this outdated outcome.
And none have been willing to adequately raise the minimum wage, much less provide for a minimum wage”living” wage!
Today’s generation and those following will find it very difficult to make any headway!
As posted above, expecting management salary for a starting position is foolish.
Ditch the entitlement mentality.
Entitlement mentality? For expecting/demanding a higher salary than what is given to interns and people who aren’t qualified? Please.
Companies that rather spend money on annual work permit fees, plus then payout a low ball monthly salary instead of offering a decent base salary to begin with, is what needs to be ditched.
Why would anyone want to deal with WORC and pay fees if there was a better alternative? Seriously, dealing with WORC, permits and rollover is a nightmare.
It’s c common practice all over the world. It’s why Elon Musk loves the H1B visa. Long hours with control at a lower pay rate than a citizen.
100% agree… they all expect jobs to grow on trees and somehow because they’re local, they should get the senior manager positions without any experience!
Where did she say she wanted an executive position? Pretty sure she said she wanted to be placed in the kitchen.. maybe if so much of “yall” weren’t flocking to our country then the “trees” would be plentiful with opportunity
British Overseas Territory
Check out the revenue for work permits, PR and Status grants. If the People want employment for qualified Caymanians, it starts by actively lobbying for a moratorium on certain categories until such time as the vast majority of qualified Caymanians have secured a position in their field, with a salary that correlates to their qualifications and experience. The chasm started opening c. 2006, and successive administrations have ignored it. WORC has 500 jobs listed, but check out the salaries. A CPA, $3,000 a month. Now factor in gasoline, rent, groceries, pension and insurance… And some companies pay in USD!
A Caymanian-founded company told me that if I collected all their receivables within six months, the job was mine. Yeah, you guessed it. As soon as the receivables were back in the black, they said I was not “a good fit for the company”.
Have YOU actually checked out the WP revenue? It’s peanuts. Enough with this nonsense..
It’s 87 Million, you clown.
not from Tourism permits. Financial Services yes, but tourism permits are almost free in comparison.
87m is only 10% of cig revenue. Tourism permits are amongst the cheapest, some are literally 1% of a lawyer’s permit. Consequently Tourism work permits make up about 10% of WP revenue or ONE PERCENT of CIG revenue.
Devil’s Advocate Warning!
It sounds like you have had an extremely difficult experience obtaining as well as retaining employment positions during your career. I am sure there have been unacceptable and, possibly, illegal actions taken by certain businesses you have encountered. However, the probability of you running into such situations over and over again is likely infinitesimal. If that can be generally accepted, give or take a few percentage points either way, then the likelier scenario includes a broad range of factors. These include the possibility that self-awareness may not be a particular strength of yours. When that is the case, it is natural to play the victim and blame others because your reflection of the interview (for instance) could be wholly different from the other(s) who participated in the same meeting.
Another point: you started your business in January 2017 around the time you returned to Cayman and started interviewing. If this was disclosed to prospective employers, they may have “moonlighting” restrictions on staff (I believe Dart does) or do not want to take the risk that an employee, who they invest significant time and money into, will leave before any of that investment is realized through improved operations from an experienced employee.
I believe you mentioned these companies in a negative way: Ritz-Carlton, Kimpton, Bon Vivant, Dart’s Restaurants, Dart Corporate Offices, Foster’s, Hurley’s, Kirk’s, several gas stations, Morritt’s, Tortuga, Indigo, Nova (affiliated with CML) and The Agency. WOW, what a list of some of the largest, well-respected companies that exist in the Cayman Islands!?
Certainly, these organizations should be given a chance to respond or you should have provided some evidence of these various allegations. On LinkedIn, only the businesses you own are listed even though you have worked in multiple other roles.
Specific qualms with your story:
You mentioned the following in relation to your experience with the Kimpton (shortened for brevity): “When the new Kimpton hotel was opening in 2016…when the manager told me that although I was great on paper and in person, he couldn’t hire me because I was “too much of a threat”.
He couldn’t justify to the immigration board why they needed a work permit when I, a qualified Caymanian, was available. He even offered me a position as a pool girl instead, which I declined, as my heart was set on working in the kitchen.”
– Logically, this does not make sense at all. If the manager said that to you (a HUGE “if”), the Kimpton’s risk of Labour Board/Tribunal repercussions would increase exponentially. This scenario, if reported to the Labour Board, would be met with swift and decisive action. On that note, was this reported to the Labour Board? Were any of your experiences reported to the government or someone else in the hiring company’s hierarchy?
I could provide many stories highlighting the opposite outcomes you have mentioned. I’m sure other Caymanians could do the same. I have found that many employers, especially those you decided to call out publicly, have a sincere desire (among financial and operational benefits) to hire quality Caymanians in almost all positions. You may want to be prepared for some of these companies to consider filing actions against you for libel, if they disagree with any of the scandalous accusations you’ve made.
I also wonder: why are you posting this now? Most of these “injustices” occurred many years ago. It seems like your family is doing well with a child at boarding school with an average annual tuition of US$63,000. While I do not pretend to know your family’s financial situation, I feel as though this is important to highlight to offset the overall victim mentality incorporated throughout your essay.
Perhaps, this is a good time to bring up these alleged incidents, or you feel more emboldened to do so now, because of the consistent rhetoric spewing from the mouths of seemingly ALL current and prospective Ministers of Parliament. Luckily, we only have a few more months left of expat-bashing, hearing empty promises, and listening to candidates placate a tiny constituency with no regard for the long-term damage they are causing to the Cayman Islands reputation around the world.
Caymanians can get: good jobs (1), the jobs they want (2), jobs that pay well (3). Complaining, playing the victim, blaming everyone else, not communicating, showing up late, being entitled, expecting too much, switching jobs repeatedly and other behaviours I have seen from some Caymanians (all populations have people like this) will NOT get you (1)-(3) above.
Final thought: even though this is our island as Caymanians, I suggest all Caymanians who feel disenfranchised try to implement a slightly new mindset. Think about how you would act, behave, communicate, dress, speak, etc. if you were an expat/alien trying to get a job (that you desperately needed) in the United States, for example. I can GUARANTEE that if you brought that hypothetical mindset to employment positions in Cayman, you could choose whatever suitable position you wanted and receive adequate pay to live a comfortable life.
Why are you trying to find logic in a situation where you have no real information beyond what you’ve just read? You’re making assumptions based on a quick read without knowing the full story. I personally know this young woman, and she’s an incredible, highly qualified individual. Instead of offering unsolicited advice about what she should or shouldn’t do, maybe consider keeping your comments to yourself rather than defending these corporations.
It’s a well-known fact that many of these companies are reluctant to hire Caymanians. Think about it—can you imagine a Caymanian working in the restaurant business here? The cost would be significantly higher for the business. Why would they pay a Caymanian $30 an hour when they can hire someone from abroad for $5 an hour? Your comment comes off as misleading, so please stop trying to justify these actions. Goodbye.
Logic can be applied to most situations, even without full facts and details. I am sure she is an incredible individual so why have more than 10 of our most respected companies refused to hire her?
Yes, your second paragraph hits the nail on the head although your implication that it is wrong for a restaurant to hire a lower paid employee is extremely misguided. Not only are there financial reasons to hire cheaper labor, there are also qualitative factors at play: expats stay in their positions longer than Caymanians in general especially in low wage jobs, Caymanians have mostly CHOSEN not to seek employment in certain positions, etc.
Caymanians should not be paid more than a position and the value they add to that position is worth. Inflation and the cost of living is already out of control. Requiring a business to pay their staff more than the market rate would exacerbate those problems, thereby negatively affecting other Caymanians not lucky enough to be paid 5-6x the value of their work (using your example).
It’s election season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes and we need MPS with balls who are will to make the unpopular decisions with regard to Immigration. This account is heart breaking for our generational Caymanians. This BS needs to be addressed and the next Govt will have to make changes to the Laws to prevent this kind of behavior unacceptable.
Btw reading these comments it obvious most have been written by expats who couldn’t make it in their country so they’ve come here. But know this, we aren’t going anywhere and will put pressure on the elected officials to defend those who elected them!!!!
This right here needs to be taught in schools;
Caymanians can get: good jobs (1), the jobs they want (2), jobs that pay well (3). Complaining, playing the victim, blaming everyone else, not communicating, showing up late, being entitled, expecting too much, switching jobs repeatedly and other behaviours I have seen from some Caymanians (all populations have people like this) will NOT get you (1)-(3) above.
Ok you shared a perspective hooray for you. I understand that the timing and content may raise questions, but I am sure her intention in sharing these experiences is to shed light on personal challenges and to foster understanding and dialogue, not to dwell in a “victim mentality.” Every family has its own unique journey, and it’s important to acknowledge both the struggles and successes they face along the way.
I find it deeply inappropriate and upsetting that you chose to mention her daughter and her school tuition in such a negative light. This is a personal matter and has no relevance to the point I was making.
Are you suggesting that her daughter should not attend a school that came to the Cayman Islands and offered her a scholarship for track and field, where she proudly represents the Cayman Islands?
It’s disheartening to see that instead of engaging in a constructive conversation, your response focuses on making assumptions and personal attacks. It’s important to approach these discussions with the intent to understand, not just react. When we fail to do that, we perpetuate negativity and division. Criticizing others without truly listening to their perspective only contributes to the problem, and I would encourage you to reflect on that. It’s crucial to have respectful conversations, especially when it comes to addressing important issues.
It’s striking how much energy has been dedicated to contesting the perspectives presented here. One can’t help but wonder what vested interest drives such a comprehensive rebuttal. It seems improbable that mere intellectual curiosity would inspire such a sustained effort to dismantle these viewpoints. Therefore, it begs the question: what affiliations, be they professional or financial, are being defended? What industry or entity holds such sway that it necessitates this level of vigorous counterargument, rather than a genuine attempt to understand the writer’s perspective?
Have you reported these events to WORC? If so what have they done? If not, why not? I know of instances where a more qualified expat was rejected in favor of a less qualified Caymanian, but that was a government position.
CIG aims to train Caymanians for upward progression within the civil service. I won’t deny that some people are not civil service material, but contrary to the haters’ premise, many civil servants hold degrees and strong private sector work ethics.
It sounds like you’re blaming ex-pats because you couldn’t get a job and not any job, but the exact job. Welcome to the working world, nothing here is perfect! It was interesting to see you were able to take a year off!!!.. I’ve never heard of such a thing and you should be thankful that you had the opportunity. Grow up, get a job and stop complaining!
You want to know why firms hire expats over locals, because they’re better and you might ask what at…. the answer is everything!
Thank you for your thoughtful writing. I just wanted to say in response: sym. Hopefully you understand this term living in the Caribbean. Best of luck.
Thanks for the lesson in ghetto English.
How to say that you’re unemployable without directly saying that you’re unemployable.
It sounds like time and time again, the salary you are expecting doesn’t match what is on offer for that position. Nothing to do with your nationality. Its down to lack of practical experience, and expecting a managers salary for entry level work.
Then after all that, and you get a job, you won’t qualify for a mortgage because they’ll say you “jump around too much”, even if it’s a step up in pay… since with all the previous jobs you couldn’t qualify because of the pay.
But you’re fine to pay rent, which is the mortgage of someone else, and it’s more than the monthly payments you would have had if you did qualify for your own mortgage.
This place is a circus, and the politicians in charge are all clowns.
This is the amazing Tourism industry we are supposed to be so proud about.
Reading this sad story of another qualified Caymanian’s struggle to secure employment in her homeland, angers me.
It is a story that I have heard various versions of by many other Caymanians. Why? Why is this being allowed by the governments that we elect who promise to put us first? When will these injustices against my people end? Who of the growing lineup of wannabe politicians, and those seeking re-election will stand up and truly put the rights of Caymanians first?
For what it is worth, I thank you Ms Haylock for sharing your story. Hopefully, things will change and better will come. Don’t give up!
I am disappointed at this report as given by this young lady but I hasten to add, that I am not surprised at the response and discouragement that she has received. Tourism offers little to nothing for our Caymanian young people. The establishments are owned by foreigners, staffed by foreigners and local people cannot afford to be guests in these establishments, so what does tourism bring to the Cayman Islands except an army of cheap labour at the lowest end and at the upper end a cabal of racist expatriate managers who, are quick to label Caymanians “entitled” “lazy” and “uneducated?”.
During my last four years as President of the University College I chaired a committee of eminent persons, including the highest representatives from the major hospitality establishments. The curriculum for the Hotel Training School was adopted and the School commenced operations as planned.
Young people applied and the School started off well. It is my understanding that things went awry for a number of reasons ,not least of which was the fact that the School was under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and not The UCCI Administration. This was a weakness but what killed the project was the fact that the students ,once ready for apprenticeship were given the short shrift by the very establishments which pledged to treat them fairly. The result is that the whole exercise ,for all its prospects came to naught.
This story and the young lady’s lament speaks to the wider problem of a lack of support for educated and qualified Caymanians. This is a political problem …one for the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Tourism. It will be interesting to see what their response will be in this election year.
To the young Caymanian, I offer this encouraging advice ,do not despair, do not be discouraged. History teaches with an un-mistakeable evidence that cases like yours will eventually cause a society to ‘turn on its head’.
Mr Bodden,
the students that came through were ill prepared and had false beliefs from the program. The internships at colleges abroad has the student working in all positions learning from the ground up- be it bussing tables, answering phones, working in the trenches. the students from UCCI only wanted to work as a manager…. as this is what they were told to do. 19 years old, never had a job going to a second rate college that has no understanding of the hospitality industry yet wanting to start atop of the job list. your program set the kids up to fail
That was his second go around at setting our students up to fail.
Being Caymanian is a death sentence in the job market. The system is rigged and there is seemingly nothing that anyone is willing to do other than to talk and make promises.
Absolute nonsense! I work with a lot of Caymanian’s who have very senior and high paying roles.
Dear Young Lady,
I feel your pain and disappointment.
It’s cold comfort, but you do not stand alone in the CI employment scenario that has prevailed for decades now.
Uni graduates, school leavers or mature workers all face a common stumbling block: The name “Caymanian”.
Businesses will use your talents, only if it does not displace a permit holder, but wull want to down grade your status and pay you equivalent to that of a 3rd work permit holder.
What are the solutions?
It would take serious examination, overall
But the first step must be, as in the situation, we must also stand together to find solutions, and exercise the collective will of the people, for individually we can do little to nothing.
God Bless you and your efforts.
Sad very sad indeed,vote for new policiations vote OUT the same Ole same Ole that does nothing to help Caymanians
I am disheartened to hear about your journey.But I want to encourage you by letting you know that most Caymanians were entrepreneurs before tourism came. I encourage you to seek out your own business again. Success awaits.
I fear this election season that pushing for Caymanians is too little too late, as we have been over run in our own home, there are fewer generational Caymaninans left here, and with each passing week get pushed out even more in favor of expats.
While we can be trained and can have opportunities presented to us, we take them and go elsewhere because there is nothing here whether it be private or government. Why are being pushed away when we have the knowledge and skills as younger people do what expats can do. This isn’t how it should’ve been, however our government sold our identity to highest bidder thereby losing our soul in the process all in the name of money and power
I suggest you go to inspire cayman training I’ve heard michael myles has helped many people secure employment of their choosing through his program.
Oh please. Michael has also belittled and bullied people who have done that program. No good!
Talking down on those kind of folk is distasteful
Care to provide some examples of what you’re claiming? All I’ve seen is positive information about Michael Myles. I have literally never heard anything negative about this man until he decided to run for office again, so hopefully you can forgive my skepticism.
I don’t understand why you don’t resurrect the private chef business again. Working for other people mostly sucks and you only ever get a fraction of the value you add compared to getting 100% of the earnings of your own business. You did it for 4 years so you clearly have the skills and the startup cost is minimal. I’d also say a very high number of people experience the exact same issues no matter what country we’re taking about. I wish you the very best of luck.
I believe you are missing the point, Caymanians are being told we will have jobs if we do all these things and when we acquire said things we are being looked over for various reasons particularly cheap labour. We get it other places are affected by similar situations, but that’s not what we want here.
I would like to be King of the World, but sadly wishful thinking doesn’t get us anywhere, does it.
Economic realities: https://caymannewsservice.com/2025/03/a-caymanians-story-of-job-hunting-in-cayman/#comment-677181
and I don’t understand why the businesses concerned keep getting all the work permits they want.
Because the alternative is hiring two Caymanians for every work permit holder. There’s no skill set – so what, you were a manager at Fosters, it doesn’t mean you can manage people in the real world. Y’all need a big dose of reality!