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Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Phyllis Mitchell, says that the Government is taking steps to protect older Jamaicans, who make up 11 per cent of the population. She informed that a Maintenance Act to protect the vulnerable elderly, as well as expansion of facilities to see to their care, are “on our books”. Mrs. Mitchell,...

President of the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF), Wayne Chen, has identified a structured education system, backed by sound parenting, as an effective strategy to create a globally competitive workforce. "We have the immediate challenge of creating a globally competitive workforce…we believe that the roots to the solution lie in our education system, meaning that our curriculum has to develop the...

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security, concerned about a fall off in school attendance by students, who benefit under the Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), has launched an initiative aimed at affirming the benefits of education. The 'School Wi Seh!' educational campaign will be implemented through a series of island-wide school tours during the academic year....

The Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF) will be hosting a CEO Breakfast on Wednesday (September 12) at the Wyndham Kingston hotel beginning at 7:30 a.m. The session is part of activities to mark National Employers’ Month, which is being observed this September. Guest speaker for the breakfast session will be Dr. Pierre Somse of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS...

A recently implemented workforce intervention programme between the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and various private sector organisations to provide short-term employment for young, skilled Jamaicans has been a success. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Derrick Kellier, informed that under the initiative, since May of this year, the Government has been able to place some 450 previously unemployed, young persons in...

A potential 40,000 Jamaicans could gain employment in the private sector, through an agreement between the Government and the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC). A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the 'Jamaica Employ' initiative was signed this morning (September 10), between Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier and President of the JCC, Milton Samuda,...

The Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH), in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, will launch its back to school campaign, dubbed: “School Wi Seh”, on Tuesday, September 11, at the Kingston High School, starting at 10.00 a.m. Project Director for PATH, Dunstan Bryan, told JIS News that the campaign aims to affirm the benefits of education...

Over 15,000 persons have been employed in JEEP Phase 1.  The JEEP secretariat has reported an overwhelming and satisfactory response to the programme noting that its first phase exceeded its projection of 5,000 persons employed.  Persons were employed within participating Ministries and Agencies and work has been completed in the areas of +infrastructure, agriculture, education and intensive labour. Approximately 2,700...

President of the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF), Wayne Chen, has stressed the need for businesses to operate within the formal economy, noting that this is critical for the country prosperity. "We recognize that one of the foundations of our future development will have to be increasing formality within the spheres of economic activity," Mr. Chen stated on September 4, as...

The new national minimum wage of $5,000 per 40-hour work week, takes effect today, September 3, 2012. The 11 per cent increase in the minimum wage is as a result of recommendations from the Minimum Wage Advisory Commission. Minister of Labour of Social Security Minister, Hon. Derrick Kellier, had announced during his contribution to the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in Gordon...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier, said that the Government will ensure that the family of deceased farm worker, Horace Clarke, is properly compensated. The Minister gave the commitment to family members on August 27, during a meeting at his North Street office. Mr. Clarke, who died in a motor vehicle accident in Canada on August 9,...

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security, through its Steps-to-Work programme, will be disbursing some $42 million in entrepreneurial grants this year, in an effort to assist persons across the island to establish small businesses. This amount represents a 100 per cent increase over last year’s allocation, and will see participants in PATH households, who are engaged in the Steps-to-Work...