A developing partnership between the government and Cayman Connection could help young Caymanian graduates transition more easily to employment back home.
Caymanian employment and immigration minister Michael Myles said the ministry has been in negotiations for several months with the not-for-profit network for Caymanians studying and training abroad.
Speaking on Radio Cayman’s programme ‘For the Record’ on 21 August, he said the goal is to improve links between graduating students and local job opportunities.
“We chose this organisation because we, as a government, must do a better job in helping our young people transition back home,” he said.
“We have too many young people that have no chance to come back because they cannot get employment. And we have a lot.
“Cayman Connection gives us the opportunity to also ensure that our students know where employment is and also know where internships are.”
Cayman Connection told Cayman Independent it is working with the Ministry of Caymanian Employment and Immigration, and the Ministry of Education and Training to develop the partnership.
The organisation described an increased focus on employment initiatives, facilitated through a dedicated online hub to share resources, opportunities, events and other support.
“The intention is to strengthen the pathway between Caymanian students and trainees overseas and the opportunities available to them both during their studies and when they return home,” Cayman Connection wrote.
“While this work is still developing, employability is an important new area of focus for Cayman Connection.
“This includes helping members better understand the Caymanian employment landscape, preparing them for internships and employment, increasing their awareness of pathways and opportunities, and ultimately helping create a smoother transition from education and training into the Caymanian workforce.”
The partnership also envisions integrating dual-enrolment students from the Cayman Islands Further Education Centre into the Cayman Connection ecosystem.
The non-profit said it welcomed the opportunity to work with the centre and other educational partners to introduce them to their network, currently comprising about 2,000 members, including students, alumni and parents, worldwide.
The organisation said it is “not intended to replace existing government or private-sector employment services”, describing itself instead as “a student hub and community partner” that helps Caymanian students overseas stay connected to Cayman and prepared to take up professional opportunities.
Myles said the organisation’s database and resources will facilitate support services that the government is not equipped to offer on its own.
“We don’t do it well in government. We need to be able to subcontract that out. They are better at doing it. We need to give them that responsibility to do that,” he told Radio Cayman.
In recent years, Cayman Connection said it has refocused its work to include a strategy that more broadly supports young people, offering services to facilitate career readiness, opportunity awareness, positive graduate outcomes and the transition back to Cayman after studying overseas.
“We are particularly interested in understanding not only whether a student secures employment, but also what happens between graduation and returning home – what barriers they encounter, what skills they need, what opportunities they are seeking and where there may be gaps between the talent being developed overseas and the opportunities available within Cayman,” Cayman Connection said.
“That insight will be extremely valuable in helping us develop solutions with government, employers, and other stakeholders.”
The organisation encouraged students, regardless of their point in their educational journey or their location in the world, to register for a free membership.
They can do that here or to contact student@caymanconnection.org with questions.
