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Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (left), presents a grant cheque to Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters (ROOFS) Programme beneficiary, Chevanese Myrie, during a handover ceremony at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security office in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth, on January 30. He is joined by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green (second right); and Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr.
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (left), presents a grant cheque to Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters (ROOFS) Programme beneficiary, Chevanese Myrie, during a handover ceremony at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security office in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth, on January 30. He is joined by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green (second right); and Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr.

Gov’t Commences ‘ROOFS’ Grant Disbursements for Hurricane Melissa Recovery

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has announced the commencement of the disbursement of financial assistance to persons affected by Hurricane Melissa, under the Government’s Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters (ROOFS) Programme. Speaking during a handover...
Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Ambassador, the Hon. Audrey Marks, addresses the ceremony for the official launch of the implementation of the flexible work arrangement in the public sector at Jamaica House, St. Andrew, on January 29.
Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Ambassador, the Hon. Audrey Marks, addresses the ceremony for the official launch of the implementation of the flexible work arrangement in the public sector at Jamaica House, St. Andrew, on January 29.

Government Launches Public Sector Flexible Work Arrangement
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. (second right), listens as Social Worker, Jada Brown (right), explains how tablet computers are utilised in fieldwork. Also listening (from left) are Chief Executive Officer of the Universal Service Fund (USF), Charlton McFarlane, and Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dione Jennings. The occasion was the handover ceremony for 200 tablets by the USF, held on Tuesday (January 27), at the Ministry’s North Street office in Kingston. The donation, representing the first tranche of 1,000 tablets valued over $79 million, will support the Ministry in conducting damage assessments on houses destroyed during the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. (second right), listens as Social Worker, Jada Brown (right), explains how tablet computers are utilised in fieldwork. Also listening (from left) are Chief Executive Officer of the Universal Service Fund (USF), Charlton McFarlane, and Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dione Jennings. The occasion was the handover ceremony for 200 tablets by the USF, held on Tuesday (January 27), at the Ministry’s North Street office in Kingston. The donation, representing the first tranche of 1,000 tablets valued over $79 million, will support the Ministry in conducting damage assessments on houses destroyed during the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Labour Ministry Receives 200 Tablets from USF to Aid Post-Hurricane Melissa Damage Assessments
Executive Director, Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD), Dr. Christine Hendricks.
Executive Director, Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD), Dr. Christine Hendricks.

JCPD Responding to Needs of Persons with Disabilities
Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Major General (Ret’d) Antony Anderson (centre), discusses Jamaica’s overseas employment programmes with Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Colette Roberts Risden (second left), who has oversight responsibility for overseas employment programmes in the United States and Canada, during a meeting at the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, D.C. Also participating are Liaison Officers in the Ministry, Sheldon Brown, and Karlene Brown (right), and Minister Counsellor for Trade and Economic Affairs at the Embassy, Aliecia Taylor.
Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Major General (Ret’d) Antony Anderson (centre), discusses Jamaica’s overseas employment programmes with Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Colette Roberts Risden (second left), who has oversight responsibility for overseas employment programmes in the United States and Canada, during a meeting at the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, D.C. Also participating are Liaison Officers in the Ministry, Sheldon Brown, and Karlene Brown (right), and Minister Counsellor for Trade and Economic Affairs at the Embassy, Aliecia Taylor.

Gov’t of Jamaica Pursuing Expansion of Overseas Employment Programmes In The United States

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Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon (centre), observes as Managing Director of the HEART/NSTA Trust, Dr. Taneisha Ingleton, extends greetings to Chairman of the Jamaica Society for the Blind (JSB), Damion McLean, during the handover ceremony for HEART’s Region I National Development Project, held at the JSB in Kingston on January 15.
InformationLabourSocial Security

Gov’t Reaffirms Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to ensuring that persons with disabilities are recognised as full citizens, with equal rights to access, participation and opportunity. “You can see our commitment in how we have been approaching post-Hurricane Melissa recovery,” she said during the official handover ceremony for...
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Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, delivers the keynote address during the launch of the Shelter Recovery Programme (SRP), held on January 15 at the Office of the Prime Minister. The programme represents a multifaceted national response to support individuals and families whose homes were damaged during the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
LabourSocial Security

Prime Minister Urges Vigilance Against Exploitation of Roofs Shelter Programme

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has cautioned beneficiaries of the Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters (ROOFS) initiative to remain vigilant against individuals who may seek to exploit the shelter assistance programme. “We have to be absolutely careful that there is no hijacking of a programme like this, that could have persons being caught paying for...
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Director, Disaster Rehabilitation and Welfare Management, Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS), Jacqueline Shepherd, encourages Jamaicans to secure important documents, during a recent JIS Think Tank.
Hurricane Relief & RecoveryLabourSocial Security

Jamaicans Urged to Safeguard Personal Documents

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) is urging citizens to prioritise the safekeeping of personal documents as part of their overall disaster preparedness. Speaking at a recent JIS Think Tank focused on Earthquake Awareness, Director, Disaster Rehabilitation and Welfare Management, MLSS, Jacqueline Shepherd, said that while no one can be fully prepared for earthquakes, safeguarding documents is one...
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Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, delivers the keynote address during the launch of the Shelter Recovery Programme (SRP), held on Thursday (January 15) at the Office of the Prime Minister. The SRP is a multifaceted national response designed to support individuals and families whose homes were damaged during the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
Hurricane Relief & RecoveryLabourSocial Security

Gov’t Launches Shelter Recovery Programme to Aid Hurricane Melissa Victims

The Government has launched the Shelter Recovery Programme (SRP), a multifaceted and coordinated national response to support individuals and families whose homes were damaged during the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28. This initiative marks the country’s transition from immediate hurricane relief to long‑term recovery, encompassing the reconstruction, rehabilitation, and, where necessary, relocation of homes to restore dignity and...
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Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., addresses a post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kingston, on Wednesday (January 14).
Hurricane Relief & RecoveryLabourSocial Security

PM Launches Shelter Recovery Programme on January 15

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, will on Thursday (January 15) launch the Shelter Recovery Programme (SRP), which will provide reconstruction and rehabilitation support for households impacted by Hurricane Melissa. The announcement was made by Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., during a post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister in...
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Canada’s High Commissioner to Jamaica, His Excellency Mark Berman (right), addresses a send-off ceremony for seasonal agricultural workers departing for Canada, held at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s Overseas Employment Centre on East Street in downtown Kingston, on Tuesday (January 6). Listening (from left) are State Minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Donovan Williams; Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dione Jennings.
Labour

More Than 8,000 Seasonal Agricultural Workers Travelled to Canada in 2025

More than 8,000 Jamaicans travelled to Canada in 2025 as part of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme, of which approximately 3,303 workers had more than 10 or more years of experience, while 1,051 workers were new to the programme. Additionally, 417 applications were for female workers that were processed. Canada’s High Commissioner to Jamaica, His Excellency Mark Berman, made the...
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