Ministry Looking to Expand Electronic Labour Exchange

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) is looking to expand the Electronic Labour Exchange (ELE) to its regional offices in Montego Bay and Mandeville.

The aim is to enable more Jamaicans to access the electronic job database and benefit from assistance provided at the Ministry’s Kingston office.

Acting Director of the ELE, Lyndon Ford, said that over the next year, the Ministry’s Montego Bay and Mandeville offices should be able to provide comparable services to that of its North Street location.

“We want to spread our services nationally and get more persons to register and also be in a position where persons, who do not have internet access, can come into our offices across the island and get the services,” he said.

The ELE is a cost-free electronic employment portal that facilitates the matching of job seekers with employers. Last year, the ELE helped to place over 900 persons in local and overseas jobs.

It is the core component of the Ministry’s Labour Market Information System (LMIS), which is a web-based data and information source for job search and placement. By logging on to: www.lmis.gov.jm, or the Ministry’s website at: www.mlss.gov.jm, job seekers can upload their resumes, while employers can search for potential employees.

Persons without internet access can visit the Ministry’s North Street office to use the computers to access the service, which also includes résumé writing tips, job search and interview techniques, and career counselling.

Job seekers are also prepared through employability skills sessions held in partnership with the HEART/Trust NTA and other stakeholders.

Mr. Ford underscored the importance of the service to both employers and job seekers.

“It’s an avenue where employers can get the skill sets they need and job seekers can get accurate information about the labour market. They can post résumés on our website and this allows easier access to employment opportunities,” Mr. Ford informed.

The Acting Director also highlighted the contribution of the ELE to national development. “When persons’ skill sets are brought into the national database, it allows us to comprehensively look at it to see what it is that we have, where it is that we are going, where it is that there is surplus and also the (skill sets) that need to be enhanced”, he said.

According to the ELE head, jobs in hospitality, customer service and sales are in high ­demand while jobs in green technology such as solar panel installation are emerging. He said that the Ministry is seeking to get more professionals to use the database through its public education programmes.

The LMIS was established in 2001. The other components are: the Skills Bank, which provides information on locally available expertise; and the Labour Market Intelligence, which combines data on the economy, population and labour market as well as details on training opportunities, the most frequently advertised jobs and labour market research conducted by the MLSS.