(CNS): The proposed Business Staffing Plan Accreditation Scheme that the government is working on will require employers to become “good corporate citizens” by actually hiring, training, promoting and retaining Caymanians within their organisations and not just having plans saying they will, the employment minister has said. In return, accredited employers will see their applications for the work permits they need when local people are genuinely unavailable approved far more quickly.
Answering a question from Deputy Opposition Leader Kenneth Bryan in parliament on Thursday, Michael Myles said the overhaul of how the business staffing regime works and the role of the new board is part of a broader effort by the NCFC government to strengthen workforce outcomes for Caymanians. He said the key to the issue is employers who are active and accountable partners in developing local talent.
Myles told parliament that the framework is still under development, but the accreditation scheme is being designed to recognise and incentivise businesses that demonstrate a sustained commitment to being “good corporate citizens”.
The minister said employers would need to show that they are recruiting, training and retaining Caymanians. They must also have clear workforce development plans, including career progression pathways to the highest levels of the business, and show investment in professional development and transparent reporting on employment outcomes for Caymanians.
“The intention is to not just to assess policies and programmes that are in place but more importantly, to move beyond a compliance-based model toward one that measures and rewards outcomes, specifically, meaningful employment and upward mobility for Caymanians.
“That is, not asking what recruitment policies are in place, but how many Caymanians were recruited — and retained; not asking how many scholarships are offered, but how many Caymanian students were supported on scholarships and then hired,” Myles said in his official answer.
The ministry has convened a working group of human resource professionals and industry stakeholders to support the research and design of the accreditation framework to ensure that it is both rigorous and practical. Myles added that the “repositioning of the Business Staffing Plan Board is central to this effort”.
He said the board’s renewed focus is on providing strategic oversight — reviewing and strengthening employer staffing plans and contributing to the development of a modern accreditation system that delivers measurable results in addressing unemployment and underemployment among Caymanians.
Myles said expedited work permit fee structures must be credible, transparent, and earned.
“Accreditation will not be automatic; it will be contingent on verified performance against defined standards, with appropriate monitoring and periodic review mechanisms in place,” the minister said. “This is to ensure that any benefits afforded, whether administrative efficiencies or otherwise, are reserved for employers who consistently demonstrate genuine commitment to Caymanian workforce development.”
Myles said the integrity of the current work permit system would not be compromised because WORC will continue to process permits, and additional resources have been allocated to the unit as the accreditation scheme is being designed, which will introduce a more strategic, outcomes-driven layer of accountability.
“This initiative represents a deliberate shift toward a workforce system that prioritises results,” Myles said. Those results mean connecting Caymanians to quality employment opportunities and ensuring that employers play a meaningful role in national workforce development.
When pressed about what other benefits employers could expect for being good employers, since they can already pay to expedite permit applications, Myles said it was about providing concierge-type services for employers who are ticking all the boxes. He said they did not need “further gifts from the government”. He said the aim was to provide a better service to the best of employers.
Bryan said that if the only benefit was fast-tracking, there was no real additional incentive to be a good employer; they could continue to ‘buy’ the fast-tracking in any event. But Myles said the idea was to give good employers a clear ‘line’ at WORC to be acknowledged as separate from employers who are not doing everything right.
He stressed the need to implement the accreditation schemes that have been considered for many years to help clear the backlog, so staff can concentrate on applications from employers who are notgood corporate citizens and are bending the rules.
Myles said he expected the new framework for accreditation will be in place by August.
