Could this pose a challenge for local employers and governments?

BRIDGETOWN, 20 July, 2022 — True to the Caribbean’s resilient nature, the region’s workers are finding a positive side to an otherwise tumultuous international labour climate. While many “First World” nations are facing a shortage of skilled workers, Caribbean workers are stepping up to fill those gaps and reaping the benefits accordingly.

Nurses and healthcare workers in Jamaica and Trinidad are increasingly being offered lucrative opportunities to live and work abroad. And they’re not the only ones leaving our region for the promise of better job prospects. Thanks to the current labour climate in countries around the world, Caribbean people arguably have more opportunity now than ever before to pursue their dream jobs abroad.

Of course, this phenomenon is not new. Throughout the years, dozens of Caribbean countries have formed partnerships with international governments in the United States, Canada, England, and elsewhere to exchange our local labour. In many of these instances, Caribbean individuals accepted contracts to live and work in a specific foreign locale for a few months or even years in exchange for highly-desirable foreign dollars.

But the circumstances are what’s changed. For a good part of 2022, First World countries like the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom have been facing labour shortages. This has been due to either “The Great Resignation”, an aging labour force, the end of remote work, and Brexit. In Canada and the UK particularly, the employment to job vacancy ratio has hit record lows.

These conditions have created the perfect opening for Caribbean workers to take up the mantle, given our proximity to North America in distance, language, and culture, as well as our historical ties with Great Britain.

At Caribbean Employment Services Inc., we are pleased to be a market leader when it comes to connecting high-quality employers with the best possible candidates for their roles. We are equally delighted to connect Caribbean jobseekers with their dream jobs, no matter where in the world those jobs may be located. 

Currently, we have several international employers who are specifically looking to hire Caribbean healthcare workers, and are offering inclusive relocation packages that are hard to resist. Caribbean nurses, midwives, podiatrists, and general nurses are all being sought after to live and work in the UK.

The various positions, job descriptions, and details on the relocation packages are available on our job board site at: https://jobs.caribbeanemployment.com/jobs/search/health-care-medical-services?d=&l=&lat=&long=&q=

Over the past year, we have also seen similar job opportunities — both being offered through our job board site and being advertised directly through employers. There have been opportunities in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada for workers in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, St. Lucia, Antigua and more to live and work abroad, with relocation taken care of.

Caribbean Employment Services Inc. maintains that Caribbean workers should take advantage of the opportunities that are in the best interest of themselves and their families. Indeed, many regional experts have asserted that now is the time for Caribbean workers to take advantage of such opportunities.

But we caution Caribbean employers to take care that they don’t end up facing a labour shortage themselves as more and more residents accept lucrative positions abroad. Rather, businesses and employers can use this as a chance to step up and show the Caribbean people why they should consider staying. This is a perfect storm of a labour climate but also a perfect opportunity to get more competitive with job offerings for local workers and implement training initiatives to ensure that the prospective employees you have are well-equipped to take over your available roles.

As one of the leading online recruitment services in the region, Caribbean Employment Services Inc. is eager to see workers take advantage of the best opportunities for themselves and their families, as well as to see employers finding success with the perfect candidate.

As such, we will continue to list available job postings for Caribbean workers on our website, no matter the location. We encourage jobseekers to visit our job board, https://jobs.caribbeanemployment.com, to find opportunities that appeal to them. At the same time, we also encourage employers and hiring managers to reach out to us to find out how they can tap into the best of the region’s labour markets.

Read the full article on the Caribbean Employment Services Inc. blog: https://jobs.caribbeanemployment.com/pages/36775-how-international-labour-shortages-are-creating-a-big-win-for-caribbean-healthcare-workers