Government is shifting its focus in the Canadian migrant labour programme to jobs that can employ high-skilled Barbadians.
Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development Dr Esther Byer Suckoo said yesterday this alternative was being sought since the “low-skilled” programme which has provided employment for Barbadians in Canadian hotels, restaurants, and the general service sector, continued to meet challenges primarily as a result of Canada’s rising unemployment rates.
Also, she said, Canada had “decided to put the brakes significantly on that programme” because of “a lot of bad press” about “exploitation” and “bad treatment” of the Barbadian workers.
The labour minister joined five other Cabinet colleagues fielding questions from the floor on the final day of the three-day Barbados Network Consultation Third Diaspora Conference at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
