Dear Editor,
There was the proud announcement a few weeks ago of the graduation of dozens of secondary school students from the Bertram Collins Staff College.
To date, despite several commentaries on the value or otherwise of its purported (one year) ‘training’ programme, the management continues to defy common sense by carelessly insisting that the unemployed individuals be regarded as ‘staff’, as if most of the latter would not recognise the substantive contradiction in their still having to be recruited by bemused ministerial ‘Personnel Officers’.
The next problem to be addressed is whether the unspecified employment agencies, assuming there are relevant vacancies, have budgeted appropriately, and more importantly can exercise their own selection preferences.
Bear in mind this annual exercise adds questionable value to the decision-making capacity to any public service agency.
In other words, there is hardly value added to the human resources capacity of these agencies.
At the same time, there is the contrasting indulgence in contracting ‘skills’ that are appointed outside of the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission.
In this regard, the Report by the Commission of Inquiry into the Public Service had this to say:
“115. …it is obvious that it is possible for cases to exist where certain skills may be needed in the Public Service which are not possessed by persons employed within its ranks. Then, it is understandable that they may have to resort to persons outside of the Public Service possessing those skills who could then be employed on contracts with specific terms by the PSC. But even in such circumstances clear rules would be needed to ensure that interested persons who possess the requisite qualifications are provided with fair chances to compete with others for appointment. It is for such reasons that there is advocacy for such vacancies to be adequately advertised and filled in a professional manner. These requests should by no means be regarded as unreasonable or disproportionate as, according to the Constitution of Guyana, persons are entitled to fair and equal treatment.”
The Report then went on to make the following specific recommendation.
“14. That contracted employees/workers should be restricted to high level professional skills not available in the Public Service, and should be recruited and selected through open competition to obtain the best available candidates in the job market.”
What the Report does not address however, is the construction of creative induction programmes adapted to employ various levels of these contracted employees, at the end of which, they must be certified as bringing needed value to the assigned agency.
Would this not be the more adult role of the Bertram Collins Public Service Staff College?
Yours faithfully
E.B. John
