The National Employment Bureau, which falls under the Ministry of Labour, will soon be rebranded the Barbados Employment and Career Counselling Services.

Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development, Senator Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo, made the announcement this week as she delivered remarks during the 2017 World of Work Showcase, which was held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre by Regional Management Services Inc.

She explained that the rebranding exercise is necessary to encompass the wide range of services offered by the agency and to redirect its focus.

“Within my Ministry, we are also adapting to the needs of the world of work. Amongst several activities, my Ministry has trained our staff in career counselling and we have invested in training of career counsellors in schools,” Byer Suckoo said of the Ministry’s efforts to prepare young persons for the workplace.

She added, “We are enhancing and rebranding the NEB, the National Employment Bureau, to the Barbados Employment and Career Counselling Services, so that the focus is not just on finding employment opportunities.

“To date, most people associate the organisation with coming in to see what jobs are available, but we are shifting that focusso that it will also be on guiding Barbadians towards the career best suited for them and counselling them on what skills they need to have,” the Labour Minister maintained.

“So we are not just finding you and saying that work is available, go there, but we want to ensure that we fit persons into the best opportunities for them,” she further commented.

Byer Suckoo stated that this effort is being informed by the Ministry’s partnership with employers.

“The employers are telling us what is available and what skills they need for those available posts, because partnerships are crucial” she meanwhile stated. (RSM)