closely to 300 Jamaicans will be taking up employment opportunities in Canada under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme ( SAWP ) .
The workers , 87 per centime of whom are returnees , will be deployed chiefly to farms in Ontario . They start departing the island on Thursday ( January 3 ) .
At a send - off ceremony keep at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security ’s Overseas Employment Services Centre in downtown Kingston on January 3 , Portfolio Minister , Hon . Shahine Robinson , boost the workers to be good ambassadors by carrying out their duties diligently and behave themselves appropriately at all clip .
“ Maintain a professional attitude … both on and off the task . Be your sidekick ’s keeper , take heed to the instructions of your employers and render to act to the best of your ability , ” she say them .
She advised the worker to observe all the guard function and rule that have been carry out and “ if something go awry and you are hurt , report it like a shot to your employer , so that it can be address and also to your amour officer ” .
Minister of Labour and Social Security , Hon . Shahine Robinson ( right ) ; discourse with High Commissioner of Canada to Jamaica , Her Excellency Laurie Peters , during a send - off ceremony for some 300 Jamaicans who will take up employ opportunities in Canada this year under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme ( SAWP ) . The ceremony was held at the Ministry ’s Overseas Employment Services Centre in downtown Kingston on January 3 .
Mrs. Robinson urged those who will be going on the course of study for the first time to “ acquit on the proud custom of the many hard - work and consecrated Jamaicans who went before and pave the room for you ” .
She further implore them to keep in contact with their families , peculiarly their children .
“ It is of import for them to recognize that even though you are not physically present , you are still there with them and you are still there for them . societal workers from the Family Services Department of the Ministry will also periodically contact your family to insure that they are doing well in your absence , ” she said .
SAWP is part of the Ministry ’s Overseas Employment Programme and involves contractual agricultural workers , who are recruit to meet the short - term need for manual labour during planting and harvesting seasons .
They are employed in nursery craw product , veg agriculture and fruit tree cultivation .
Mrs. Robinson hailed SAWP as a symbol of the long - standing tradition of partnership and cooperation between Jamaica and Canada since 1966 and as positively impacting the lives of many Jamaicans , who have used the opportunity to meliorate their standard of livelihood and that of their families .
High Commissioner of Canada to Jamaica , Her Excellency Laurie Peters , in her remarks say SAWP has been a success for both countries .
Minister of Labour and Social Security , Hon . Shahine Robinson ( right ) and High Commissioner of Canada to Jamaica , Her Excellency Laurie Peters , interacting with Jamaicans who will take up use chance in Canada for this year under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme ( SAWP ) . function was a send - off ceremony held at the Ministry ’s Overseas Employment Services Centre in downtown Kingston on January 3 .
She noted that while the syllabus has been expand to other countries in the Caribbean and Mexico , 85 per cent of worker from the Caribbean are from Jamaica .
She informed that changes have been made to the biometric demand of the broadcast .
“ The fingerprints and photographs that were collected from workers , as well as visitors and student , since 2013 , are now valid for 10 years , which mean that refund workers no longer necessitate to give them twelvemonth after class with each new diligence . This means that only 20 per cent of new participants have had to give their fingermark , ” she say .
A group of 100 workers straggle the island at 9:00 a.m. Thursday , and another cohort of 110 worker will depart later on in the day . The last group of 86 will leave the island on Friday ( January 4 ) .
Minister of Labour and Social Security , Hon . Shahine Robinson ( centre ) and High Commissioner of Canada to Jamaica , Her Excellency Laurie Peters ( right ) , call farewell to Jermaine Wilson , as he boards the bus that will take him and other Jamaicans to the airport for departure to Canada . Close to 300 actor are taking up employment chance in that country under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme . Occasion was a send - off ceremony held at the Ministry ’s Overseas Employment Services Centre in business district Kingston on January 3 .
For more information : jis.gov.jm
