Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 03, 2017 (SKNIS): Stakeholders from 17 public and private sector agencies in St. Kitts and Nevis and two labour unions will spend the next two days learning the ins and outs of the software LMIS.STAT that will be used to manage a Labour Market Information System (LMIS) across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Acting Labour Commissioner, Shernel James, said that the workshop is a follow up to a session held in February this year, where participants learnt that an LMIS is designed to collect quantitative and qualitative information that can be used to assist policy makers and agencies in decision making and programme planning to meet labour related demands. The participants also learnt about what information their agency is expected to provide into the database.
Ms. James said that this time around, participants will engage in more practical activities.
“This phase is a hands on phase where all parties who would be involved in the LMIS, will have the opportunity to see what the system is all about and to work on our system (laptops containing the LMIS software) in learning the new systems,” she said. The laptops and software were provided by the CARICOM Secretariat.
Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Ron Dublin-Collins, said he was pleased with the partnerships at various levels that have allowed the process to get to this point. He added that the Senior Minister and Minister of Labour, Honourable Vance Amory, is committed to the establishment of the LMIS, and singled out key players in this initiative which included the CARICOM Secretariat, the Ministries of Education, and Sustainable Development, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Trades and Labour; and the Teacher’s Unions.
“All of this really trickles down to our ability to better serve our people and that is what we are about,” he said. “To better serve our people, to ensure that the areas of employment throughout the federation are so empowered that our people can leave their areas of work happy and more empowered [to provide] for their families and of course it will have a rippling effect throughout the federation.”
The workshop is one of 14 being conducted across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). It falls under a project dubbed the “Establishment of a Labour Market Information System for the Proper Management of the Regime for the Free Movement of Skills within the CSME (CARICOM Single Market and Economy).” The initiative is funded through the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Programme of the European Commission.
Christopher Lawrence delivered remarks on behalf of the CARICOM Secretariat and said the project is of great importance to the region.
“This LMIS project and other ongoing interventions are a testament to ongoing efforts by the Community to further complete and make the single market arrangements more accessible and business friendly,” he stated. It also gives the Secretariat an opportunity to observe possible best practices in particular member states, which could be recommended to other member states.”
The training on the LMIS.STAT system is being held at the Conference Room of the Social Security Building.
