Ten manufacturers yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training to address some of the labour problems they have faced. The agreement is expected to increase the labour supply at the ten companies.
The signing comes as members of the business community have been complaining about the labour shortage and its impact on their operations.
Tertiary Education Minister, Fazal Karim, delivering the feature address said the initiative would produce the required quantity and quality of skilled labour to satisfy the needs of the manufacturing sector.
He added that the initiative would resemble an apprenticeship system and would entail: "The establishment of the on-the-job training (OJT) manufacturing and an export manufacturing apprenticeship programme (EMAP), premised on the dual-system of education and work-based training, including the use of workforce assessment centres and worker productivity schools for the next seven years."
Karim was speaking at the signing ceremony which was held at the Manufacturing Association headquarters in Barataria. Also at the event, Trade and Industry Minister Vasant Bharath said the MoU would position the manufacturing sector to be more competitive.
"We are now forming bilateral agreements with many of our Central American neighbours, which would not just allow us market access to their country, but also allow their products into T&T, therefore it is imperative we are in a position to be competitive."
Reacting, Ashmeer Mohamed director, KC Confectionery Ltd said he welcomed the signing since it would increase the labour supply in his operation.
Asked how difficult it is to source labour, he said: "In the case of KC where we are located in the Point Lisas area, we are competing with huge multinationals for skilled employees. We have been losing a lot of our people. Now that they are becoming versed in what we are training them in, especially in exports, they are going to the multinationals who are willing to pay top dollar but not train."
Andrew Dalgliesh, chief executive of SCL (Trinidad) Ltd said he looked forward to the launching of this initiative since one of the problems he faced was sourcing reliable, educated labour.
"Hopefully by this initiative T&T can turn the corner, whereby both labour and manufacturers would benefit from it. The standard of living will increase and productivity would increase and T&T can become more competitive in the Export sector."
Nicholas Lok Jack, executive, Associated Brands Ltd said it would assist his company to develop the staff there.
"It is the first time we are going to take our employees and send them to workforce centres and give them formal certificate training for jobs they have been doing for the last 20 years, so they could understand the concept and the technical skills behind what they are doing for the last 40 years."
The ten companies
Advance Foam Ltd
Arawak and Company Ltd
Associated Brands Industries Ltd
Blue Waters Products Ltd
Cold Zone 3PL
Electrical Industries Group Ltd
KC Confectionery Ltd
Lifetime Solutions
SM Jaleel & Company Ltd
SCL (Trinidad) Ltd