By Zoila Palma: Stakeholders from several government agencies and development institutions have refined a labour programme aimed at increasing the supply of skilled workers in Belize, with particular focus on women, young people and migrants. The discussions took place during the second day of a planning workshop focused on validating the programme’s Results Matrix and developing its Annual Operating Plan.
Chief Executive Officer Tanya Santos led the delegation from the Ministry of Immigration, Governance and Labour, while Labour Commissioner Rissela Dominguez Patt served as the programme’s focal point. The workshop brought together representatives from the Labour Department, Border Management and Immigration Services, the Refugees Department, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economic Transformation, BELTRAIDE, the Central Information Technology Office, the National Women’s Commission and the Ministry of Human Development, along with specialists from the Inter-American Development Bank.
The programme will focus on two main objectives: improving access to labour force services and specialized employment support, and increasing access to quality training in priority sectors.
Stakeholders established 2030 as the target year and reviewed three impact indicators and 14 output indicators, including a goal of placing 20 percent of jobseekers in formal employment within 12 months of receiving a referral through the Public Employment Service.
The initiative also seeks to triple the number of jobseekers using the Public Employment Service and increase registered job vacancies by 50 percent from the 2024 baseline. At least 75 percent of registered jobseekers are expected to receive an employment referral, with the same target specifically applying to women, young people and migrants.
The programme will also seek to increase the average monthly earnings of trained beneficiaries by 25 percent compared with an evaluation control group and reduce employers’ difficulties in finding workers with the skills they need.
Training will be aligned with labour market demand, with priority areas including business process outsourcing, tourism, the green and blue economies and childcare. The programme aims to train 2,000 beneficiaries in priority sectors, 100 people in advanced digital skills and 150 people in childcare, including care for children with disabilities. The digital training pipeline is expected to prepare participants for careers such as data analysis and software development, while 70 percent of beneficiaries are expected to complete training and certification.
Stakeholders also emphasized removing barriers that can prevent people from completing training, including through assistance with food, transportation and childcare where necessary.
Plans also include strengthening digital systems for job matching, labour market information and case management, as well as supporting entrepreneurship in the green and blue economies.
A management dashboard will track progress, targets and results, while the Annual Operating Plan will assign specific deliverables, responsible technical leads, completion dates and verification methods to improve implementation and accountability.
The post Stakeholders refine Labour Programme to expand jobs and skills training in Belize appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: Stakeholders from several government agencies and development institutions have refined a labour programme aimed at increasing the supply of skilled workers in Belize, with particular focus on women, young people and migrants. The discussions took place during the second day of a planning workshop focused on validating the programme’s Results Matrix and
The post Stakeholders refine Labour Programme to expand jobs and skills training in Belize appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
