Pearnel Charles, minister of labour and social security, said last Friday that the nearly two dozen Jamaican mechanics who have been enlisted in Canada's overseas employment programme were evidence of the Government's promise to create more jobs.

"When we (the Jamaica Labour Party) said to the Jamaican people we're going to help you find jobs, it was understood that we couldn't find jobs in Jamaica for everybody overnight.

"And now we have taken the opportunity to go abroad to make contact for the people to get job support. ... We are sending 23 of our most skilled Jamaicans in heavy-duty mechanics to Canada to assist the Canadian government and the Canadian people in the development of their transport system," the minister said.

Charles was speaking at an official farewell ceremony for the 23 mechanics, who were flying to Canada that afternoon.

Vancouver is currently suffering a worrying shortage of workers in its transport industry.

Trained workers

There are not enough trained workers to replace the number of employees retiring from the system.

Charles urged the group to demonstrate a positive work ethic.

"I want to charge you as ambassadors for this country. All of you represent a dream that the staff and I have at the ministry. And now we are bringing it to reality.

"And all the bumps and potholes that you meet, you have to ride them because you are not there as just you, you are representing a long line of what we expect to happen from Jamaica to British Columbia," he told the mechanics.