16 hours ago
3
Senior Reporter
A group of frustrated former CEPEP, URP, and National Reforestation and Watershed Programme workers is calling on authorities to fast-track measures so they can put food on the table. Many of them were among over 190,000 applicants seeking employment through the Government’s job recruitment drive.
Mother of one, Shania Charles, worked with the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme through Marryshow Maintenance Ltd for four years, starting as a labourer and later promoted to foreman. She said every day has been a struggle since the Government discontinued the programme and terminated all contractors, leaving thousands of workers on the breadline.
As a result, she said, she had to scale back on many things, including extra classes for her six-year-old daughter.
“While hopeful that my application for work through the national recruitment drive is successful, I appeal to the Government to fast-track their promise of better jobs.”
She added, “See how quickly you all could get people to work. If it is to make up something on the roadside to clean, just to bring in a little money. Christmas is coming, you know how children feel without a gift, without a toy? It is just to get a little money coming in.”
Former Marabella West councillor and CEPEP contractor Jennifer Marryshow said over 400 residents in that area were left without work, several of whom have been complaining to her because they have no income and cannot take care of themselves or their families.
Marryshow, who was also a manager in the Unemployment Relief Programme, assisted former workers with registration documents for the Government’s recruitment drive, but believes the entire process is a “hoax.” “You have a document with different ministries that they going to put the people in. We all know that you apply to the service commission to get into ministries. Now, you telling people you will get jobs in the ministry, better jobs? Where is the allocation for these jobs? What are the better jobs?”
She added that the majority of workers would not have qualifications for jobs within the ministries, and positions for lower-scale roles would be limited.
“How could you filter 5,000 workers as a cleaner when you only have one position in the ministry?”
Dismissing suggestions that her intentions are politically motivated, she said she was speaking out for members of the community who reached out to her. “When people hungry, you don’t want to hear about the UNC or the PNM. You want to be employed?”
Former CEPEP foreman Donna Scott-Cobham expressed concern that some people might turn to crime to provide for their families.
“Jamaica had the hurricane, but right now Trinidad feeling like we have a hurricane. I feel like Melissa blow everything out, we just empty.”
Contacted yesterday, Minister of Works and Transport Jearlean John confirmed that over 150,000 applications were received online, with another 40,000 submitted at various recruitment hubs. She said the exercise of sorting through the applications was completed yesterday, and people would begin receiving calls this weekend. The minister said interviews are expected to commence by mid-week next week.
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