CRMA host seminar to benefit the unemployed
The Ministry of Social Protection, Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency on the 4th October, 2017 engaged youth of Region ten (10) in a capacity building workshop in order to better prepare them for the world of work.
Participants were educated on proper resume preparation, interview techniques, work ethics, labour laws, functions of the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency (CRMA) and the Role of the Board of Industrial Training (BIT).
Assistant Chief Probation Officer attached the CRMA, Ms. Yolanda Grant, encouraged the youth to use the services of the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency but cautioned that the agency is only able to assist in facilitating the process to the point of the interview. She said although the agency wishes that it had the authority to immediately find employment for clients, employment is left to the discretion of the employer based on the interview process. She said however, the agency would follow up with employers to find out where the interviewee would have gone wrong if they did not succeed and work with that person to correct for subsequent interviews.
It is therefore imperative for job seekers to be prepared, so they can be successful at the interview. This means continuous training needs to occur for persons seeking employment.
Regional Chairman of Region Ten (10), Mr. Rennis Morian, in his address to the participants said the training was timely for the region. In motivating the young persons to take advantage of their youth, he urged them to be more strategic in the planning of their lives. “You need to have a strategy to win…you should work smart, not hard” he said. Morian urged those present to heed carefully the advice and training offered by the officers of the Ministry.
The participants were thought that it is about more than just finding employment; Mr.Randy Burkett (Labour Officer) told the participants that it is prudent to learn about their rights and responsibilities as workers and those of the employers. He told the youth that their rights to Occupational Safety and Health and against discrimination must at all times be maintained and will always be enforced by the Labour Department of the Ministry of Social Protection.
While lecturing on rights Mr.Burkett also took the opportunity to instill that with rights come responsibility. He said “ there are many laws that govern your employment… just the way you have a right to be employed your employer also has the right to fire you based on set criteria” He urged however that employees should demand “equal remuneration for equal work” and that both parties (employer and employee) should maintain their end of the bargain.
Nial Sandiford – a resident of Amilia’s Ward, when asked what she learnt, said “I learnt how to write a resume and other things I think I should know while in the working environment; the entire workshop was very informative and I will put what I learnt into practice”
The Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency is a division of the Social Protection Ministry that registers applicants for employment, taking specific note of their occupational qualifications, experiences and desires; it evaluates, if necessary, their physical and vocational abilities. Its objective is to place individuals seeking jobs in suitable employment while providing career guidance and counseling. The Agency was established by the Government of Guyana in October 1944.