Fifteen Barbadians have departed the island to take up employment in New Brunswick, Canada, under a new overseas employment initiative facilitated through the Barbados Liaison Office in Canada and the Barbados Employment and Career Counselling Service (BECCS).
The workers have been offered nine-month contracts with Daley Seafoods, marking the first initiative of its kind under this new stream of overseas employment opportunities.
Acting Senior Employment Officer at BECCS, Lana Mapp, said the Ministry was pleased to embrace this opportunity which was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the team in Canada. She indicated that the Ministry is extremely proud of this achievement.
Ms. Mapp explained that the opportunity began to take shape in 2025, when officials from the Barbados Liaison Office in Canada visited several Atlantic provinces, including New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, to explore additional job opportunities and to identify new areas of employment for Barbadians.
Following on from these collaborative engagements, representatives of Daley Seafoods subsequently travelled to Barbados last December, to conduct interviews for the selection of workers for the company’s Fish Processing Plant.
She also expressed appreciation to the Barbados National Union of Fisherfolk Organisations, particularly its President, Vernel Nicholls, for assisting in the identification of suitable candidates for this opportunity.
One of the workers, Lisa Oliver, who is among those travelling to New Brunswick, said she was excited about the opportunity and the exposure it would provide.
Ms. Oliver, who works at the Bridgetown Fish Market and is also a fisherwoman, said the placement was especially meaningful because of her background in the fishing industry. “I am very excited. I like to do anything when it comes to seafood. So, I am very excited to see the different ways to deal with the lobster and the crabs,” she stated.
She added that she was looking forward to learning new skills and bringing back knowledge that could benefit others in Barbados.
Ms. Oliver also praised BECCS for the support provided throughout the process, noting that the officers prepared the workers “from the beginning to the end”.
She also encouraged other Barbadians to take advantage of similar opportunities for overseas employment, which could help workers broaden their experience.
The departure of the first cohort is expected to open the door for similar job placements, once the programme continues to meet the needs of Barbadian workers and overseas employers.
The primary responsibility of BECCS, which is a department within the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and The Third Sector, is to assist Barbadians with employment opportunities locally and internationally.
