Minister Says SAWP Very Important Pillar in Labour Migration Strategy

The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme (SAWP), which facilitates farmworkers from Jamaica to the United States (US), has been a very important pillar of the nation’s labour migration strategy for decades.

This was stated by Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., today (May 15), at the Jamaica Central Labour Organisation webinar.

“Thousands of families have been positively impacted by the opportunity that the farmworkers have received in the US, and several of them come from across the vast amount of farming communities that we have. These are hard-working, honest men and women who take pride in their work and who are the face of our country, our ambassadors,” he said.

The webinar was held to increase general awareness about the organisation and its role in facilitating the employment of Jamaicans in the USA and specifically for persons to learn about hiring Jamaican farmworkers.

Mr. Charles Jr. assured that the Ministry goes through a very rigorous process to ensure that “we filter out the best persons, those most suitable to maintain the high standards that represent our country”.

“We have, over the last two years, taken the time to strengthen and to really make sure that our employment readiness framework is rigorous and strong and effective. We have implemented a more effective selection process to ensure that we can access the persons who are most suitable, which means we are very clear in terms of the various testing for literacy, numeracy, and we have now added psychometric testing for the first time ever,” he noted.

In the most recent round, 2,459 candidates participated in assessments, and of those, 2,300 successfully completed training through the HEART/NSTA Trust, in key workplace and life skills.

In addition to the literacy, numeracy, and psychometric testing, the Ministry has introduced a mentorship programme for participants in the farmwork programme. This initiative pairs experienced farmworkers with newer recruits to promote discipline, personal development, financial planning, and responsible representation of Jamaica abroad.

“We recognise that the success on the job goes beyond just technical skills. It requires you to have the right attitude, to be prepared, and to be emotionally intelligent. These are the things that we’re looking for when we do psychometric testing and others, but the mentorship is critical… ensuring that the workers who are coming up understand what they’re going to confront and that they are encouraged to confront it in the most constructive way possible,” Mr. Charles Jr. said.

Meanwhile, the Minister assured potential farmwork employers across the United States that Jamaica is fully equipped to be their partner and meet their labour needs with efficiency and care.

“We understand that choosing a source country is a major decision. What we offer in Jamaica is a very unique combination of experience, quality, government oversight, and a culture rooted in discipline, productivity, and pride,” Mr. Charles Jr. said.