This island???s human resource entity has been encouraged to embrace all sectors and share experiences to find solutions to common problems.
Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development, Senator Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo, threw out this suggestion yesterday, when she addressed the 16th Annual Human Resource Management Association of Barbados Conference, at the Radisson Aquatica Resort.
???As you look to develop your membership???embrace your colleagues in small businesses and your colleagues in the public sector, as well as in the statutory agencies. The problems that you face in private sector organisations are faced in just about every organisation in Barbados,??? Dr. Byer Suckoo advised.
Offering an example of how collaboration could help the agencies involved, the Labour Minister observed that the recent retrenchment exercise had exposed some deficiencies in human resource practices. ???We have seen some criticism for how the process was managed in terms of counseling and delivering the notice [of retrenchment]???[and] we realise that there has to be some training in handling terminations,??? she said, adding that the current challenges had also highlighted the issue of performance assessment.
Senator Byer Suckoo explained that her ministry was working to improve this island???s human resources so that persons would be better equipped to develop job descriptions and titles which fall within the standards of the Barbadian labour market.?????My Ministry has developed BARSOC, the Barbados Standard Occupational Classification, which is presently being updated under the Human Resource Development Strategy???BARSOC provides information to assist employers, employees, workers representatives and job seekers to utilise this document once it is completed.???
The Labour Minister further explained that BARSOC provided information to assist trade unions and employers, in the development of collective agreements, as well as users with the opportunity to compare their skills and competencies with those required in other Caribbean countries.
nekaelia.hutchinson@barbados.gov.bb