(CMR) Between 2019 and 2023, the Cayman Islands Government spent some $144 million improving employment prospects for Caymanians; however, Auditor General Sue Winspear has indicated that a number of issues still need to be addressed.
According to the report, Improving employment prospects for Caymanians, issued on Monday, 3 June, by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG), the Cayman Islands consistently achieved the global definition of full employment between 2019 and 2023. The Caymanian unemployment rate also met the definition every year, except during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Auditor General said, “According to the global definition, the Cayman Islands has full employment. This is also the case for Caymanians, except during the pandemic when the unemployment rate soared.”
“This is good news for the economy, but it will feel very different for Caymanians that are unemployed and wanting to work,” Winspear added.
The Auditor General said, “Despite meeting the definition of full employment, there are a number of barriers to employment that need to be addressed, including low educational attainment, the level of the minimum wage, lack of apprenticeships, and availability of child care.”
She goes on to explain that “Most unemployed Caymanians have a high school diploma or lower, and while there are plenty of available jobs that require only this level of education, they tend to be low paid.”
“I note that while progress has been made in developing a framework for technical and vocational education and training (TVET), careers guidance in schools does not cover this. Given that the majority of jobs in the Cayman Islands may require TVET skills, this needs to be more of a focus,” she said.
Winspear also recommended that WORC prepare forecasts of long-term labor demands and that the Government develop a national employment policy, which takes a holistic approach.
The report states that the Government provides a range of employment programs, many of which are provided by Workforce Opportunities & Residency Cayman (WORC).
Winspear said, “The Government, through WORC and other entities, provides a number of employment programs, but the effectiveness of these programs is unclear.”
“The seven programs delivered by WORC and its partners have an average completion rate of 83 percent over the four years. Although this varies by program, it is good news,” the AG said.
However, she pointed out that many had not finished the programs, and some programs did not have enough places for demand.
“When you look deeper into the statistics, it tells a different story. Across all of the programs in 2022, less than half of applicants were accepted onto programs, and over a quarter of people started but dropped out before they finished. The low acceptance rate indicates that there are not enough places to meet demand. This is evident for the national apprenticeship program where less than one in ten were accepted because of limited places,” she said.
This report and the original OAG reports on which this report is based are available at www.auditorgeneral.gov.ky.
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