Government today officially launched the Barbados Job Register, a ground-breaking digital platform designed to connect job seekers, while strengthening the country’s labour market planning and transparency.
The Register, spearheaded by the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector, in collaboration with key partners, provides a free one-stop solution for Barbadians and residents to showcase their skills, competencies, and qualifications. In turn, employers will gain access to a larger talent pool.
Meanwhile, agencies such as the Immigration Department, the Ministry of Training and Tertiary Education, and the Barbados Statistical Service will be able to make more informed, data-driven decisions in addressing labour needs and closing skills gaps.
Speaking at the launch at the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business, Minister of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector, Colin Jordan, described the Barbados Job Register as a major milestone in the Ministry’s mandate to expand employment opportunities for Barbadians.
“The Register is available at barbadosjobregister.gov.bb [and] is intended to ensure that there is some more fairness and equity with respect to finding work opportunities…and fairness with respect to those who are looking for workers and who may feel that they are hemmed in, that they’re not seeing who is available,” he said.
The Labour Minister added that the Barbados Job Register will also play a pivotal role in immigration decision-making, as employers will be required to post vacancies on the platform before seeking overseas labour. This measure is designed to ensure that Barbadians are given the first opportunity to fill available positions.
“There is the provision of information so that employers can know, and will be mandated to know, who is available that can fill the vacancies that they have.”
Mr. Jordan further stated that the portal will also aid in the creation of labour related policies. “The information that we use for that policy making will not be the individual information of workers who put the information on the portal. The information will be amalgamated, consolidated, and that is the information that we will use in our policy making and our policy development.
“We still have a number of other developments to undertake to make sure that the solution is fully functional. At this point, we will be able to and are able to have workers and potential workers share the information and have employers in a position to see that information. We will move toward a better system of matching more distribution, wider distribution of opportunities and wider distribution of the skills and qualifications of those who are seeking work,” he explained.
Through the platform, individuals can register online at any time. Should they encounter a challenge in the process, they can submit an email to barbadosjobregister@labour.gov.bb. Additionally, four satellite centres, staffed by Ministry personnel, have been set up to assist those who may require in-person support with the online registration. Minister Jordan said these centres are scheduled to begin operation from Tuesday, August 26, at the following locations:
- The General Post Office, Cheapside, St. Michael: 8:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- St. George Post Office, The Valley, St. George: 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- St. Philip Post Office, Six Roads, St. Philip: 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Speightstown Post Office, Speightstown, St. Peter: 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Mr. Jordan also urged residents, employers, and stakeholders across the public, private, and third sectors to make full use of the register. He pointed out that the platform will serve as a game changer in aligning skills with opportunities, closing workforce gaps, and creating a stronger economy for all.
Platform developer, Kristen Payne, of Intergen Technology Inc., confirmed that all data entered into the register is safe and secure.
“Essentially, your data, whenever you put it into the platform, is encrypted when it’s being sent or communicated with any services, and it’s never shared to anybody outside of the ministry or those verified employers in the actual platform…. In addition to that, we do things that have redundancy backups….
“We’ve made sure that your data is as protected as we can make it, and the only, the only thing left is personal responsibility. It’s up to folks to ensure that they don’t share any details that would allow them to be compromised,” Mr. Payne assured.
