Three boys - Anthony Cookes, Sean Rhoden and Chad Gordon - won third, second and first place, respectively, for posters they created under the theme 'Job Readiness'.
Gordon, whose poster was titled 'The Path To Your Future,' was awarded a trophy, $195,000 and a $5,000 voucher from Sangster's Book Store for his winning piece. He and the runners-up will have their posters used in a public education and awareness campaign, after beating students from 11 schools across Jamaica who submitted more than 40 entries.
The competition was set up to increase awareness of the LMIS throughout the country, and also to prepare students for the world of work by exposing them to the theme of job readiness.
At his first official function since returning as minister of labour and social security, Derrick Kellier said he was happy to be there because of his ministry's crucial role in helping to provide meaningful jobs for Jamaicans at a time when the economy is contracting.
Addressing the ceremony in the dining hall of the Four Seasons Hotel on Ruthven Road in Kingston, Kellier spoke about some of the applications of the LMIS.
"The Web-based Labour Market Information System/Electronic Labour Exchange is designed to make this difference, providing labour market intelligence; career counselling services, job-matching facilities and a database of available skills for employers and investors to access."
SITE VISITS
Speaking to some of the successes of the LMIS, Kellier said: "Between the period of August 2011 to January 5, 2012, the LMIS tracked 28,697 visits to the site with 15,499 of these visits being from persons in the UK (United Kingdom), Canada, USA (United States of America), Australia, and even our regional CARICOM partners.
"We are excited about the relevance and benefits of the LMIS to job seekers, secondary and tertiary students guidance counsellors, career developers, employers and parents, and we want to encourage its use. The truth is that we are presenting a one-stop location for information and we've placed emphasis on youths, as we know they are a significant part of the job-seeking population."
martin.baxter@gleanerjm.com