New Comer
 

Hello all,
I have just joined, and I am so glad, that this forum was recommended by a friend of a friend some sections of it has made me laugh, and boy have i needed it!!!

I recently moved to St Lucia 4 months ago, after being made redundant from my job back in London. I saw this as the opportunity to move abroad, because for the past few years I've wanted a change, and especially with the way things were, getting even tougher there. I am in the process of sorting out my work permit, but in the meantime I have been applying for a few jobs, to get some extra income, but they haven't even responded to me, apart from one. I am very experienced and feel that I would be an asset in any company here. I have been applying for all sorts of jobs but still nothing.

I don't have any family here, but have a few friends here, and I was kind of hoping that because my nationality at birth is Jamaican coupled with the fact that my working experience and eduction is from London, that they would at least give me a chance.

Do you have any suggestions on a way forward? And when is the next "meet up", I would like to attend?

Thank You.

Re: New Comer
 

Am confused!

IF you are of Jamaican nationality and can prove it, plus you have real skills and qualifications which you can again prove on paper, then you should be able to gain employment in St Lucia to the extent that the framework of the Caribbean Single Market & Economy (CSME) is in place. The big question is whether you have skills that St Lucia needs which will promote you above existing locals also looking for work, bearing in mind that it is a very limited economy and is basically in recession, no matter what the politicians say to the contrary.

I do not think that your eduction (sic) ;) in the UK (London) will carry any great weight in St Lucia if you throw that fact around - on the contrary, this can often act against you for cultural reasons which we won't go into here.

Re: New Comer
 

Hello
Thank you for your reply. Yes, I hold a Jamaican & British passport, and have my educational certificates, however I have not expressed in my cover letters that that because my education and employment is from the UK I am any better than the locals here. It was merly what I have been thinking.

I am a qualified Legal Secretary, I have a diploma in Business Management and various others. But I guess this does not promote me above existing locals right??? And I agree about the recession.

I also thought that because I am Jamaica national I would be exempted from paying for extensions to stay, I am told I will have to pay $200 every 6 months if I want to continue staying here.

What / if any advice, can you give on employment matter

Thanks again for your response.

Re: New Comer
 

Can't really help on the employment front. Just don't know whether there is a real requirement here for fully-fledged and qualified legal secretaries beyond what is on offer locally and therefore generally accepted by the legal profession - paralegal or paraprofessional or just basic secretary who happens to be working in a legal firm might do here instead sometimes, if you know what I mean.

Not sure also how Caricom citizens gain the right to stay here beyond 42 days I'm afraid and - as I belly-ache on a regular basis - there simply isn't any information regarding any of this on the web ref St Lucia, more's the pity for us and St Lucia IMHO.

The golden rule here is that you make the appropriate contacts as it is contacts and (potential) work-related family relationships that count for so much.

Re: New Comer
 

Hello
Thank you again for your response.

Re: New Comer
 

Please find here the release which Guyana has issued ref the free movement of labour under CSME, which one would have to assume is standard for other Caricom member nations who are not specifically excluded:

http://www.minfor.gov.gy/tsite/image...e_overview.pdf

Re: New Comer
 

Thank you very much for this information. Very useful.

Re: New Comer
 

The information I was given by the St Lucia High Commission in London is that a Caricom national had the right to live and work in St Lucia provided they had the relevant qualifications, ie a Degree, etc or had skills in various industries. One would have to apply for a Caricom Skills certificate to prove this. Contact the local embassy to see if they can point you in the right direction, or maybe contact the High Commission in London to see if they can help.

Good luck.

Re: New Comer
 

Thank You very much, I will have to look into that.