In March 2002 the On-the-Job (OJT) programme was implemented to fill a gap that existed between certification and workplace readiness. Today, the programme has seen over 150,000 trainees using it as a stepping stone to their desired career path.
As part of its commemoration of its 20th anniversary the OJT division of the Ministry of Labour and Small Enterprise Development will launch its Tracer Study to collect data from its former trainees and training providers with the aim of reviewing the impact of the OJT programme on their lives, livelihoods, and transformation of their careers.
“The evaluation of the impact of the programme over 20 years, but specifically eight years under the Ministry of Labour is quite important, and therefore a major conversation is being held with a key stakeholder to assist the division to first engage in a pilot project during the new few months. The information from that project will be used to design and implement a major tracer study,” Minister Stephen Mc Clashie told Business Day.
The OJT programme was designed to provide new graduates with the opportunity of experiencing the world of work and getting practical occupational skills and workplace experience within the public and private sectors as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Initially, the programme fell under the Ministry of Education, but was later reassigned to the Ministry of Labour. It is open to nationals ages 16-35 with at least three O’Levels or a craft certificate, and runs for a 24-month cycle.
“The objectives of the programme are to provide trainees with practical work-ready skills and work-based training opportunities to help them gain a foothold in the employment market; match the academic and technical skills of prospective trainees with the needs of the labour market; encourage trainees to adopt work ethics and attitudes which will increase their ability to gain sustainable employment; and develop the nation’s human resource capacity.”
Trainees are given a stipend determined by the level at which they are facilitated – CXC or craft certificate, A’Levels or technical diploma, associate degree, undergraduate, post graduate.
Mc Clashie said all training providers must be registered with the OJT division. Trainees under public providers are paid 100 per cent of their stipend directly from the programme. With private providers, he said, “The arrangement is that 60 per cent of the stipend will be reimbursed by the government. Therefore, trainees assigned to private sector providers will be paid 100 per cent of their stipend by the provider and the provider then provides the relative documents for the reimbursement to be paid monthly or quarterly based upon their rate of submission.”
The minister said although, in the past, there have been complaints by trainees of long waiting periods for their stipends, that problem no longer exists.
[caption id="attachment_947412" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Labour Minister Stephen Mc Clashie speaks wi
