February 9, 2016
CHAMBER VOICE
Chamber responds to Minister Rivers statement
 
As stated in an earlier release, the Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee had a positive meeting with Government on Wednesday, 3rd February and intends to focus on moving forward in partnership with Government. An example of this is President Paul Pearson has accepted an invitation by the Premier to serve on the task force that is developing the Ready2Work KY initiative.
 
In order to keep the focus on moving forward, the Chamber will state only that it is concerned by the public statement by the Hon. Tara Rivers, Minister for Education, Employment and Gender Affairs released on Friday, 5th. The Chamber spent considerable time and resources preparing a detailed response to the Labour Relations discussion draft in August 2015. It was only last week that the Chamber was informed by the Minister that many of its recommendations are being adopted into the new draft. While the Chamber is encouraged by this development, it is unfortunate that following a positive meeting with members of the Government Caucus that the Minister feels it necessary to issue such a negative statement. The Chamber looks forward to receiving the revised draft bill.
 
The Chamber will not respond to the other statements of the Minister except to highlight that over the past 50 years the Chamber has worked with every elected Government to introduce business, education, work place and community based initiatives to improve the business environment and quality of life for its members and the wider community. By way of timely example, one of the initiatives the Chamber created is the careers education and training expo, which takes place this month on 26th February at the UCCI. This is the 20th anniversary of that event.
 
We confirm again our willingness to work with the Minister and the Government to address the various challenges we collectively face.
                          
Occasionally, the Chamber may disagree with specific actions or proposals of any Government, but that disagreement is never politically motivated. Rather, all responses from the Chamber are informed by the expertise and experience of its members, local business owners that are invested in the success of Cayman. The President and the CEO speak for the organisation and communicate policy positions as determined by the elected Council after consultation with the membership through surveys, reports, general meetings, committee work and discussions. We are proud of our leadership, past and present, who volunteer time, energy, and finances to work with Government in order to advance the Islands' collective interests.
Introducing Legal Bootcamp courses in partnership with HSM Chambers 

The Chamber, in partnership with HSM Chambers are proud to announce a joint partnership offering a series of legal and employment courses to the membership. With the changes to the Labour Relations Bill, these courses will provide attendees with useful information relating not only to employment, but all requirements relating to legal parameters with regard to immigration, running a legitimate business and many other topics of discussion. 
  

Mr. Huw St.J., Moses OBE, a partner at HSM Law, said :
 
"As Chamber members we are pleased to support this programme of useful and informative Chamber courses. All businesses, big and small, face increased challenges from legal and regulatory requirements and we are pleased to be part of the Chamber's initiative to make members aware of their obligations. The Chamber has always had an excellent reputation for making training programmes like these available to its members."

The first of this series of courses, Employment: The Hiring Process, will take place on Thursday, February 18th from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
 

Upcoming Ken Blanchard course: Situational Leadership - Feb. 25


Situational Leadership II (SLII) is the world's most taught leadership model-because it works!

The foundation of SLII lies in teaching leaders to diagnose the needs of an individual or a team and then use the appropriate leadership style to respond to the needs of the person, team, and the situation. SLII Concepts introduces the theory of SLII in an engaging and informative way.

READ MORE AND REGISTER
Careers, Education & Training Expo coming to UCCI February 26
Supporting Sponsors: Deloitte, SteppingStones, Health City Cayman Islands, Ministry of Culture, Kirk Market, Intertrust, UCCI, CISPA, Foster's Food Fair, Appleby, RE/MAX, Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands, The Marriott Resort Grand Cayman, EY, Insurance Managers Association Cayman, CUC, Water Authority, The Ritz-Carlton Cayman, Dart, Active Capital, ICCI, Sociabank & Trust, Department of Tourism, Smile Dental Clinic and Cayman Enterprise City. 

Over 30 businesses and organisations from the major industry sectors and government agencies will be represented at the 18th Chamber of Commerce Careers, Education, and Training Expo at the Sir Vassell Johnson Auditorium at the University College of the Cayman Islands from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. on Friday, 26th February. The event is free and the public is urged to attend. All high and college students from the public and private schools have been invited to attend.  

This annual event offers employers an opportunity to showcase their education and training opportunities, scholarships, work experience, internships and career opportunities in various fields of employment in the business and public sectors. 

READ MORE
2015 Salary & Benefits Survey Now Available

Will you be reviewing salaries in 2016?  What about the extra benefits your staff receive? Would you like the most comprehensive Salary & Benefits survey on the Islands to refer to?

The Chamber's 2015 Salary & Benefits Survey is HERE and available for purchase.

Listing data from 182 benchmark positions from 138 companies from all industry sectors, this is an essential business tool for your organisation.
 
Significant discounts are available to those members who participated in the survey as follows (all prices are in CI$):
 
Participating members:
 
Up to 10 employees - $100
11 or more employees - $250
Non-profit organisations - $100
 
Non-participating members:
 
Up to 10 employees - $150                  
11 or more employees - $300                      
Non-profit organisations - $150                      
 
Non-members:
 
Up to 10 employees - $200         
11 or more employees - $350
Non-profit organisations - $200
 
To purchase your copy of the survey please contact Kerry Pratt at[email protected] or call her on 743-9126.


Special event: Members invited to Business After Hours at Agricultural Grounds - TONIGHT!   

Members will receive a sneak preview of this year's Agricultural Show tonight as the Ministry of Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing & Infrastructure hosts a Business After Hours event at the Agricultural Grounds in Lower Valley.

Hundreds of plants will be available exclusively for Chamber members and guests. Local crafts and artisans and farmers will display their latest products and produce. Don't miss this special event!


Leadership Cayman facilitates Opening Retreat and first seminar on Media

Leadership Cayman (LC) kicked off its seventh year in late January with this year's class participating in the opening retreat at The Wyndham Reef Resort in East End. The Opening Retreat is designed to introduce participants to the philosophy behind the programme, to assess and develop leadership skills and to form closer bonds between the 25 class members. The six-month programme allows participants to learn more about their personal leadership style and hot buttons and to gain a better understanding of all aspects of the Cayman Islands. Martin Ruben, a graduate of Leadership Cayman 2011, chairs this year's programme and delivered the welcome remarks. "Leadership Cayman is an awesome programme that provides participants with a unique opportunity to better understand their leadership style and to learn more about all aspects of the Cayman Islands society," said Mr. Ruben. 

Dr. Peter K. Hammerschmidt, a Professor of Economics at Eckerd College and a Senior Trainer and Research Associate on the faculty of the College's Leadership Development Institute: an affiliate of The Center for Creative Leadership, facilitated the retreat. He has been advising executives in leadership, innovative problem-solving, and teamwork for three decades and has been working with the Chamber since the start of the programme in 2010. The retreat consisted of a series of presentations, problem solving and team building activities, and included the provision of customised reports on each member's leadership style. Participants were all engaged and expressed a high level of satisfaction with the retreat content. If you are interested in applying for next year's Leadership Cayman class, visit www.leadershipcayman.ky or contact programme coordinator Trisha Meyerhoff at 743-9123 or send an email to [email protected] 


Earth Day 2016 - seeking Sponsors & Volunteers
The Chamber's 20th Annual Earth Day Clean-up is scheduled for Saturday, 16 April and is anticipated to be another great success!  
 
The following companies have already come on board to help us with this initiative: Deutsche Bank (T-Shirt Sponsor), FLOW (Brunch Sponsor), BritCay (Cap Sponsor), Davenport Development (Bottle Sponsor) and Event sponsors Foster's Food Fair and Department of Environmental Health.
 
Keeping Cayman clean is everyone's responsibility and there is still time for you to make a difference and be part of this environmental initiative by pledging your support as a sponsor of the event. Contact Nicola at [email protected] to get involved as a Sponsor!
 
Submit a clean-up team today. This is a great way to encourage corporate team activities. While supplies last, all clean-up teams will receive a free t-shirt, clean-up bags and gloves, and a ticket to a great brunch.
 
Just complete the form here and return it to Nikita at [email protected]  ASAP to order your t-shirt and select your clean-up area.

Save the Date: Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching - 28th May

Planning is underway to honour some of Cayman's top educators at the sixth Chamber of Commerce Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching on 28th May.

Nomination forms will be distributed shortly so that parents, students and the general public can nominate teachers in the public and private sector schools who should be recognised for their contributions to education.

Partners in Education include Maples (sponsor of the Lifetime Achievement in Education Award), Dart Cayman Islands and Minds Inspired (William A. Dart Memorial University Scholarship) and KPMG (reception sponsor).

If your business would like to be associated with this awards programme by sponsoring an award or prizes for deserving teachers, please contact Nikita Durrant at 743-9121 or via email at [email protected] .

The Golden Apple Awards in Excellence in Teaching is a partnership with the Ministry of Education.

FREE SME Workshop - February 25


First 2016 Member Information Session a hit!

There was a great turnout once again at last month's Member Orientation Session which was held Friday, 22nd January at the Chamber of Commerce Conference Room.  Representatives from Cayman Enterprise City, Cayman Leasing, Fincor, Fosters, Maitland, Marine Surveyors Cayman Ltd, Rovida Property Management, Stone Pro's and The Cayman Reporter attended.   
A Meet & Greet was held over a lunch prepared by Treat's Restaurant, followed by a brief presentation about the Chamber in general and the many ways to maximise Chamber Membership. The session closed with a prize draw sponsored by Cost U Less which was won by Pearl Fray McDoom.
 
The next Member Information Session will be held on March 4th, 2016. For more information on this or any upcoming sessions, contact Nicola at [email protected] or 743-9129.

T
(345) 949-8090
F
(345) 949-0220
A
4-107 Governors Square

West Bay Road

PO Box 1000

Grand Cayman KY1-1102
W
caymanchamber.ky

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Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce | Unit 4-107 | Governors Square, West Bay Road | P.O. Box 1000 | Grand Cayman KY1-1102 | Cayman Islands