14 October 2022
The Government of Jersey has formed a Population and Skills Ministerial Group to address the
Island’s critical labour shortages in the public and private sectors.
The creation of a new Population and Skills Ministerial Group (originally stated as a People and
Skills Commission) is one of the Council of Ministers’ 100 Days Actions.
The Chief Minister, Deputy Kristina Moore, said: “The creation of a Population and Skills Ministerial
Group is a vital first-step in addressing the very real labour shortages we are experiencing in Jersey
across public and private sectors, and prioritising a joined-up approach and strengthening our
position will ensure we become a community where everyone thrives.
“It is our intention to tackle these issues quickly and decisively with access to affordable healthcare
and housing, developing relationships with overseas jurisdictions, and streamlining processes.”
To help support this, the Chief Executive, Suzanne Wylie, tasked officials to conduct a rapid review
of labour shortages across the economy. Some of the emerging themes from that review include
the impact of cost of living and accommodation, as well as the attractiveness of other jurisdictions
concerning career scope and opportunities, particularly for young people.
A programme of work to address the immediate gaps will be actioned in the following sectors:
- Children’s Social Care
- Health and Social Care – specifically residential Homes, Nursing Homes and Domiciliary
Care across the public, private and third sectors
- Hospitality
- Construction
This includes assessing the Jersey offer, including access to affordable healthcare and housing,
providing clear comparison data on competitor jurisdictions and increased promotions, developing
an Approved Employers scheme to streamline access to licences and labour, and closer links to
France.
Other considerations include healthcare funding for short-term and seasonal workers and
attracting overseas workers from a shortlist of jurisdictions with which the Island has existing
relationships. This follows the success of the recent Jersey/Antigua Barbuda Hospitality Partnership.
gov.je