The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net WORKER productivity is a growing concern for employers, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC) chairman telling Tribune Business yesterday this was vital to this nation's attraction for foreign direct investment (FDI). The Department of Statistics in conjunction with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), is launching a wage and productivity survey in an effort to match labour demand with labour supply, and Winston Rolle told Tribune Business: "I think one of the things we really need to focus on, and which this survey is going to bring out, and something that continues to be a growing concern, is productivity. "We really have to make sure that persons are being as productive on the job, so that not only are persons getting value for their money. Take a look at things such as foreign direct investment. Persons want to ensure that when they look to invest in a country, the workforce is as productive as possible, and is going to give them the maximum return on that investment." Mr Rolle said many employers have expressed concern over not being able to find persons with the necessary skill sets to meet their labour demands. "Surveys like this are critical in helping to address such a situation," he added. "What happens now is you have one or two individuals expressing their concern in a very small circle. Surveys such as this broaden that circle, and now we have a foundation or a base line upon which we can say that we have clearly identified that a large population have experienced this or that particular concern." "I think you are finding that in some instances, for a particular job you can't find persons with the particular skill sets. Thus you need to train. In other instances you find persons that may have some of the technical competencies required, but you still have to invest in soft skills and things of that nature. So it s mixed bag of what you're finding out there. Obviously it's only a small part of the larger picture that needs to be addressed." Mr Rolle said the Chamber was going to do all it could to encourage its members to actively participate in the survey. "If you take a look at the details of this survey, a lot of the information that's going to come as a result is going to be very important to businesses," he explained. "So from the Chamber's perspective we are going to be doing everything we can to encourage our members to actively participate in the survey, and to be as factual with the info, knowing that it will be held in the strictest confidence. When it comes to completing surveys and giving statistical information as a business community, we still have a lot of improvement that needs to be done." The wage and productivity survey, which is being conducted with the technical assistance of the IDB, began in New Providence yesterday and is expected to begin in Freeport at month's end. According to the director of the Department of Statistics, Kelsie Dorsett, some 600 firms will be interviewed during a process expected to take three months.