The Department of Labour will initiate a series of surveys in 2015 aimed at Human Capital Development Planning for Tobago. This is in accordance with the Comprehensive Economic Development Planning (CEDP), 2013-2017 of the Tobago House of Assembly which recognises the need to generate updated labour market information specific to Tobago in a rapidly changing labour environment.

The Tobago House of Assembly, private sector organisations as employers in Tobago have been confronted with the dilemma of sourcing the appropriate people required for their operations. Tobagonians who are eligible to work have also been frustrated with the job search process including the challenge of finding jobs to match their qualifications or skills.

In order to capture a detailed outlook of labour conditions in Tobago the Department of Labour will be conducting a series of surveys in the New Year 2015 starting in January. The first survey – the Labour Supply Survey (L.S.S.) – will investigate the supply of labour relevant to Tobago. As a result the Division has commissioned a consultant to conduct a series of community based and business establishment surveys set to begin January 12th 2015. This survey will be conducted over a period of three (3) weeks.

The Labour Supply Survey when completed is expected to produce an estimate of the number of Tobagonians who are unemployed and employed together with information which includes skills and qualifications, age, gender, income, whether local or foreign, resident or migrant (including Trinidadians, Caricom nationals).

In order to capture data that will inform the labour situation some 40,000 persons who reside in Tobago, over the age of 18 and eligible to work will be asked to participate in the survey. The L.S.S. will be conducted by Tobago based supervised data collectors who will undergo a series of training sessions to ensure adequate capacity and performance fit with the survey needs. The training focus will surround requirements for confidentiality and sensitivity, acquisition and management of information, customer service, etiquette and grooming. At the end of the survey a final report will be published detailing the findings of the study and recommended future action.