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Chief Labour Officer, Vincent Burnett (FP)

Government is moving ahead to assist those persons adversely affected by the economic downturn to sharpen their skills and find new employment.

According to Chief Labour Officer, Vincent Burnett, a $10 million Unemployment Retraining Fund has been established by the Labour Department and the National Employment Bureau (NEB), in collaboration with the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), which is expected to help persons permanently laid off to find jobs.

He explained that when persons registered with the NIS to receive unemployment benefits, they were given the opportunity to be referred to the NEB to discuss retraining options.?? "If they agree to be referred they are assessed by an officer at the NEB, after which a determination is made, by both the unemployed person and the counsellor, as to the kind of training which would be appropriate," he added.??

Persons are usually referred to the Barbados Vocational Training Board or the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic.??

To date, some 18 persons; all female, have participated in the programme.??

kmoore@barbados.gov.bb

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