Media Release - Ministries sign MOU with the Ministry of Labour to share data towards the establishment of a CARICOM Labour Market Information System
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago - Thursday 7 December 2023
The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Planning and Development have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Labour committing to sharing data for the establishment of a CARICOM Labour Market Information System. This signing ceremony took place on Friday, 1st December, 2023 at the Head Office of the Ministry of Labour at the International Waterfront Centre in Port of Spain.
This MOU signals the commitment of the respective Ministries to facilitate effective collaboration and transmission of Labour Market Information (LMI) to the Ministry of Labour to process and upload in the Labour Market Information System. The MOU is also a commitment towards the production of robust and timely LMI for data users in the region, that is, Governments, technical vocational and tertiary learning institutions, businesses, trade unions and civil society organisations. Other organisations to become signatory to this MOU include the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs; the Ministry of National Security and the National Insurance Board of Trinidad and Tobago.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour, Ms. Natalie Willis stated that she was honoured to mark this significant milestone in the development of our nation's labour market. In her remarks, she listed the potential impacts of the collaboration which include the ability of the Regional LMIS to serve as a comprehensive and centralized database, providing accurate and up-to-date information on various aspects of the labour market in CARICOM member states; the pooling of the resources and expertise of multiple data-sharing agencies will ensure that Trinidad and Tobago information which is captured within the Regional LMIS is reliable, comprehensive, and easily accessible and the platform will allow to better facilitate coordination between various stakeholders involved in the labour market, such as training institutions, employers' associations, and trade unions.
In his remarks, Manager, Labour Market Information Unit, Mr. Bruce Spencer, indicated thatthe Regional LMIS platform will not only facilitate labour market analysis but also provide the foundation for monitoring and reporting on employment and labour policies. It will serve as a mechanism to exchange information and coordinate different actors and institutions involved in producing and utilizing labour market information and analysis. Mr. Spencer also expressed his deepest appreciation to all the data-sharing agencies and the Ministry of Labour for their commitment and collaboration in making this platform a reality.
The CARICOM LMIS Project seeks to strengthen the LMIS in each Member State as well as establish an online platform for LMI at the regional level. As such, the regional LMIS would improve the management of the regime for the movement of skilled labour and it would entail systematic collection of labour market data which would provide for evidence-based decision making as it relates to national and regional policies. This would also allow the development of robust policies in areas such as job creation and job security, at the national and regional level.
Source: Ministry of Labour
