Statement to the Legislative Assembly 10th April 2014 [re unemployment]

By the Honourable Tara Rivers, JP MLA, Minister of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs

National Workforce Development Agency 10th April 2014

Madame Speaker, I wish to update this Honourable house as to the work being done to address the challenge of unemployment.

Through the work of the National Workforce Development Agency (“NWDA”) this Government is working to prepare and protect Caymanians so they can partake in the economic opportunities that exist today in, and those being attracted to, the Cayman Islands. Over the past several months, since taking office in mid 2013, my Ministry has been engaged in a review of the work undertaken by the NWDA with a view to making the necessary changes that will ensure that this agency can fulfill its vision of being a “valued partner and facilitator in the training, development and employment of Caymanians”.

Through a review of the work of the NWDA Employment Services Unit it was noted that a strong collaborative relationship with the Immigration Department and its Boards is crucial to ensuring that Caymanians have a fair and equal opportunity in the recruitment process. During this review and in discussion with the Immigration Department it was further noted that the Immigration Department and its Boards rely heavily upon the NWDA Employment Services Unit to provide the necessary information to make informed decisions regarding the granting of work permits.

In response, my Ministry with the support of the Computer Services Department set out to expand the NWDA database to include an Immigration Interface which will ensure that that Immigration Department and its Boards have the information required in a timely manner to make informed decisions. The delivery of such a system was a major campaign promise and is absolutely essential to enhance the collaboration, the efficiency and the effectiveness in the way these two agencies – the NWDA and the Immigration Department – interact with one another.

I am happy to report that on February 25th of this year my Ministry launched the NWDA – Immigration database interface. Through a two hour unveiling and training session members of the Grand Cayman Immigration Department were introduced to and trained on the use of the new interface. A subsequent meeting was held with members of the Grand Cayman Immigration Department on April 1st where they shared feedback on the use of the interface. That feedback has resulted in some adjustments to the interface and changes to departmental procedures as we endeavour to ensure that we have a system that is fit for purpose. We anticipate another meeting with members of the Grand Cayman Immigration Department in another 3 or 4 weeks to gather some more feedback which will inform additional “tweaks” to the system.

We are very happy and encouraged that the Immigration Department has been willing to engage in this level of collaboration as it has facilitated the development of a system that  meets the needs of all involved and has the necessary “buy-in” of those it was designed to support. In addition to the meetings which have taken place on Grand Cayman, on March 20th representatives of the NWDA and my Ministry met with the Deputy District Commissioner and representatives of the Cayman Brac and Little Cayman Immigration Department to introduce them to the Immigration interface. Those present stated that they could see the value of this interface and have committed to utilizing it as a tool in the work permit process utilized here in Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.

Madame Speaker, I would like to note that in a recent press release the Chief Immigration Officer stated that she was happy with the collaboration between her department and the NWDA. She said that the online interface will make for a significant positive change in the way Immigration and the NWDA work with each other and will increase the transparency of the work permit process. She, too, encouraged all employers and job seekers to take advantage of this system.

This interface, which is a component of the larger NWDA database, is designed to facilitate significant positive change in the way Immigration and NWDA work with each other and is:

•          facilitating transparency in the work permit process;

•          providing an efficient and effective way for employers to communicate efforts to hire a suitably qualified Caymanians; and

•          providing an effective and efficient way for the NWDA to provide information to the Immigration Department and its Boards that will allow for informed decisions to be made by them when processing work permit applications.

Madame Speaker, I would like to briefly share the steps involve in this new process as I feel that this will give a very valuable picture of the process that has been established under this Government’s leadership:

1.         Employer registers a job with the NWDA.

2.         NWDA system runs a query to identify job seeking clients who broadly meet the requirements of the post.

3.         NWDA Employment Services Officer reviews the matches for appropriateness and with authorization from job seekers, refer candidates that are a reasonable fit for the post.

4.         NWDA Job Seeking Clients are able to view job posts and have the option to self-refer.

5.         Employer Clients receive notification of matches for persons who have self-referred or who have been referred by the NWDA.

6.         The Employer Client is responsible for reviewing all candidates and determining their suitability.

7.         The Employer Client is provided with a section on the database where they can record the outcome of each referral.

8.         If the Employer Client does not select a Caymanian and chooses to apply for a work permit the Immigration Department and its Boards will be able to pull up the referral record and view the list of persons that were referred or self-referred, the rationale for the referral and the reasons the company gave to explain why no suitable applicant was found.

This process will ensure that the Immigration Department and its Boards are aware of every person that was referred or self-referred and the outcome of the recruitment process. It is important to note that there is no legislation that mandates Employer’s to register their companies with the NWDA or post available jobs with the NWDA. While this interface facilitates transparency in the work permit process it only accomplishes this for jobs that are posted with the NWDA where persons have applied for the post through the NWDA.

What my Ministry has done is to create a valuable and critically important service and we are encouraging employers and job seekers to utilize it in the process of recruitment and job seeking. The approach right now is to create something that is useful to job seekers and employers, and we are inviting feedback as we further develop the system to ensure that it is fit for purpose.

In addition to the work being undertaken on the NWDA database, my Ministry has also been involved in the expansion of services to job seeking clients through our district outreach programme. The Training and Development Unit of the NWDA has partnered with Library Services to deliver NWDA employment services at the District public library branches on a monthly basis. Through this opportunity Caymanians can meet with a representative of the NWDA at their district library for assistance with any activity related to job seeking including registering with the NWDA, searching for jobs on the online portal, self-referring for jobs, resume writing, and interview preparation.

In response to feedback from employers and job seekers we note that one of the challenges our country faces is the discrepancy between the skills an employer desires and the level of skills present within a segment of our unemployed population. My Ministry recognizes that in order to address this challenge there needs to be a focus on training and development.  In response, my Ministry is currently working on the intake and assessment process for job seekers who desire the support of an Employment Services Officer as they engage in job seeking activities. This is being designed as a comprehensive assessment that will include: psycho-social assessment, mental health screener, career assessment and an assessment of employability skills. This process will help to identify the level and type of support and services required to move the job seeker closer to the job market. We anticipate that the intake and assessment process will be implemented by the end of April 2014.To support the intake and assessment process the Computer Services Department is building a professional development interface. This interface will be used to record the activities that the job seeker has committed to engage in as they address their respective barriers to employment. This interface will track the progress of job seekers and hold them accountable to engaging in the work necessary to address their respective barriers to employment. This interface will also facilitate the opportunity for online case management of individuals who are seeking support and services from multiple government agencies. It is anticipated that this interface will be launched at the end of April 2014.

Madame Speaker, there is much more that I could share regarding the work that is being undertaken by my Ministry as we work to address the challenge of unemployment. In the interest of time, I chose today to highlight some of the major projects that my Ministry has undertaken and has accomplished thus far as we work to ensure that the NWDA is positioned to fulfill its vision of being a “valued partner and facilitator in the training, development and employment of Caymanians”.

Madame Speaker, I thank you

Statement to the Legislative Assembly [re School Discipline and Student Behaviour] 6th Meeting of 2013/2014 Session

By the Honourable Tara Rivers, JP MLA, Minister of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs

School Discipline and Student Behaviour 10th April 2014

I wish to update this honourable House on my Ministry’s work to strengthen the way in which school behaviour and student discipline is managed in government schools.

This Government takes the matter of school safety very seriously.  Since taking up office last year I have made a commitment on behalf of the Ministry responsible for Education and Government to be proactive in addressing the challenges faced by government schools so that teaching and learning is improved. So much so, that the mantra which I have already communicated to my staff at the Ministry, DES, schools administration, teachers and other educators to be used when working to address issues faced in the school system is ‘No Excuses – Just Solutions’.

Since taking office, my team and I have held extensive discussions with individual school PTAs, representatives of the National Teacher Forum and the National Parent Forum, both launched in the latter part of 2013 under my leadership. We have also had visits to schools to listen to the concerns raised about school discipline and student behaviour, in particular the negative impact that a small number of students have on their schools. It is clear that we and our community all want schools that are safe, welcoming, supportive and inclusive learning environments. Further to this we must recognise our responsibilities to all our students including those who have difficulties and ensure that they have access to the right support.

The Ministry of Education already coordinates and has oversight of a number proactive ‘safe school’ measures. However, these measures are also the subject of review to determine their effectiveness and to identify gaps that may exist. Behaviour and Education Support Teams (BEST) are in place across government schools and meet on a monthly basis. BEST teams undertake assessments for early indicators of being at-risk of negative outcomes and manage a wraparound student-centred approach that relies on inter agency partnerships and collaboration in order to be effective. Crime prevention days were introduced last September to secondary school students and following their success were offered again this term to Year 8 students. There is a successful Extended After School programme that provides purposeful activities for students at the end of the school day. There are established supportive partnerships between my Ministry, the RCIPS and security firms to ensure that any incidents of violence in schools are dealt with appropriately.

During November 2013, Safe Management and Risk Reduction Training was developed and piloted with three schools and an adult training centre. Components of this training package have now been offered to relevant school staff to train colleagues within their schools, thus building capacity within the system to manage student behaviour more effectively.

The need to strengthen the provisions to address special education needs is vitally important. In November 2013, I asked the Senior Policy Advisor for Inclusion to draft an action plan to identify priority areas in relation to special educational needs. I also asked for a specific review of processes to support the identification, assessment, monitoring and provision for students with behavioural needs. From early in my tenure as Minister with responsibility for Education, I recognized the importance of and the need to strengthen the governance of behaviour management systems, both in schools and in the services that support schools; and the Ministry, DES and the schools, in collaboration with other stakeholders, have been charged with the responsibility to develop and implement a workable plan of action to address this fundamental issue and to increase accountability in the system.  Further work is planned and underway in this regard.

The Government recognises that prompt actions need to be taken to address the concerns that have been raised about school behaviour and student discipline. Significant work is well underway to define key expectations and strengthen the way in which school discipline and student behaviour is managed going forward. Stake holders, including parents and students, will be consulted and asked to provide feedback about the existing school code of conduct and home-school agreement. Working groups in the high schools have started to review their school polices with the aim of having fairly apportioned rewards and sanctions according to behaviours demonstrated. Further to this, a suite of national policy expectations and supporting guidance documents to support school based protocols are due to be finalised and published. These include, but are not limited to, an anti-bullying policy, dealing with complaints and guidance on recording and reporting school safety incidents.

A campaign is planned to communicate key expectations about school discipline and student behaviour to the community during the lead up to the start of the new school year. Key policy guidance is to be launched nationally at the start of term in August 2014 so that there are consistent standards across the country in relation to school discipline and student behaviour. The Ministry will be reaching out to all stakeholders to play their part to make this a reality at all schools, for all students.

However, it must be stated that some of the challenges faced by our school communities from those students who are struggling with severe, complex and significant behavioural and/or mental health issues go beyond the scope of my Ministry alone. These young people pose a risk to both their school environments and their community, and they require intensive and specific interventions to address their needs. Unfortunately, there is a gap in suitable secure therapeutic accommodation for these young people. We really must act with some urgency to address this matter. I will continue to lobby this Government, of which I am a part, to move quickly to develop a proper mental health facility suitable to address the mental health and wellness needs of a growing population of students. Schools alone are not equipped to deal with such cases.

In summary, my Ministry takes its responsibility to provide national expectations about school discipline and student behaviour very seriously, and acknowledges the important role government schools have in supporting students, whilst they are being taught to accept responsibility for their own behaviour. I have specified before this Honourable house the work that my Ministry has already undertaken and the work that is underway to strengthen expectations about school behaviour and student discipline and fortify the governance of behaviour management systems. This reflects the Government’s continued commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all students and staff.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.