Too many people looking for work outside of Barbados are being left in the dark.
Chief executive officer and founder of Trinity Recruitment Services, Judeen Scantlebury, said this was why they made sure to let their clients know exactly what they were getting into and kept track of them.
“Sometimes you see people signing up to work with cruises and hotels overseas but they are not told everything. Then when they start, things they don’t like happen because they were not briefed. We go through our clients’ contracts so we can answer all questions and guide them accordingly, explain what they are getting into, their working hours, job descriptions, all of that before they leave.
“You just can’t send them off. Everybody is not able to adapt the same way, so once we are able to have conversations with individuals prior to them leaving and include their parents and guardians, it makes the process feel more comfortable and lessens some of the fear, knowing they have an agent they can reach out to and if they have questions, we can mediate with the company on their behalf,” she said, adding they also accompanied their clients to the airport and kept track of their flights.
Scantlebury was speaking recently at Trinity’s inaugural job fair, held at Radisson Aquatica hotel, Aquatic Gap, St Michael. She said they used to hold recruitment campaigns for overseas jobs but this was their first job fair for both local and overseas careers.
There were some rumblings about the $25 registration fee, but Scantlebury said it was a necessary expense and a reasonable cost.
“That fee is a registration fee for the entire week. Persons are entitled to their opinions but this is our first such event and we have overheads which are not seen by the public. It takes someone versed in business to understand and I think the fee is reasonable,” she said.
Scantlebury said the fair, which had a steady flow of people, was a success. She said she was particularly happy with some young people who were offered three-year contracts with United Arab Emirates-based JW Marriott, because they usually offered only one-year contracts.
Sub-Lieutenant Elvis King said the fair had been an interesting one for them in the Barbados Coast Guard and the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) overall.
“The youth wanted to stay away from military life so the lady running the fair had to encourage them to come over here. They did not know the extent of the careers and the opportunities in the BDF but when they were exposed to the upward mobility available, they changed their minds,” he said.
The Barbados Accreditation Council (BAC) was not offering jobs directly but rather informing participants about the CARICOM Skills Qualification certificate.
“The council offers this in two ways. One is that Barbadians who want to work in the region can apply through us to get the certificate to work in any CARICOM country, or two, in reverse when CARICOM nationals who want to work in Barbados can also apply for the certificate,” said Ryan Broome, information officer in the BAC’s communications and marketing department.
He said Scantlebury had told them she received many queries from Caribbean nationals who wanted to work in Barbados so it was useful for them to be present, adding the response was good.
Leann Skeete was looking at the opportunities available after teaching for six years. She said she loved administrative work and hoped to either work here or branch into the international arena, “maybe with a hotel or airline”.
Gerald Anthony had a wealth of experience with the military – having served both here and in the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. He is also a veteran engineering consultant. However, he said he was in a “lull” and wanted to see if the fair could offer him some networking opportunities and allow him to offer his expertise.
“I’m looking for any sort of position which could utilise my skills. I think I have a lot to offer. I think this job fair is a worthwhile endeavour and it is good for job seekers and good for Barbados to show there are talented people here on island,” he said.
Another professional, who requested anonymity, said he was heartened to see so many young people, both male and female, taking advantage of the opportunities. He said he was glad to see the BDF present, which suggested the Barbados Police Service could also have participated as the fair could assist with recruitment.
“We say our young men are in crisis but this shows we just need to create opportunities for them and give them direction,” he said.
