Caribbean residents who may be looking for the perfect opportunity to work abroad are being encouraged to check online for job openings that they can qualify for. This was the advice of Joseph Boll, CEO of Caribbean Employment Services Inc.
Caribbean Employment Services Inc. is a market-leading digital talent acquisition service that aims to connect the top talent from the Caribbean with hiring managers, HR professionals and decision-makers in companies both within the Caribbean as well as abroad.
Temporary overseas work opportunities are not new to the region, but they have been on the increase over the past few years due to the unforeseen impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the labour market in countries like the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
“There continues to be a wealth of work-abroad opportunities for Caribbean natives,” Boll said. “You just have to be looking for them and not only relying on a government ad.”
Boll noted that in the last year alone, workers from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and more have secured long-term, lucrative employment in Canada, the US and the UK in fields including agriculture, custodial, food & beverage, hospitality and even healthcare. In Trinidad, for example, some 400 workers are said to be thriving on a Farm Programme in Canada; and the UK’s NHS Professionals International is gearing up to hire as many international nurses as they can.
“Opportunities abound if you’re interested, and they often come with attractive sign-on benefits and relocation packages,” the CEO noted. “Many times, you’re also paid in foreign currency, so you have ample opportunity to maximize your savings while gaining invaluable work experience and furthering your skills training.”
However, Caribbean Employment Services Inc. also wants to remind jobseekers to be wary of fraudulent offers that ask them to provide payment or personal information upfront. If a website does not look legitimate and does not have a domain email address (such as the company name instead of GMail or Hotmail), those are major indications that it is not a legitimate website. Likewise, if an offer seems too good to be true, it usually is.
“Only use trusted, reputable websites like Caribbean Employment Services Inc. when looking for work-abroad opportunities,” Boll said.
