Ministry of Labour (Barbados)

Dr. Karen Best currently serves the people of Barbados as Permanent Secretary. Mrs. Yolande Howard previously served from August 2016 to January 2019 before reassignment and then Mr. Alyson Forte until December 2019.

A Permanent Secretary is essentially the chief executive officer of a ministry, reporting to the Cabinet of Barbados. The Permanent Secretary or P.S is the most senior civil servant in government and is not politically appointed. He or she is responsible for managing the ministry tasked with implementing the Cabinet's policies as it relates to what falls under the Minister's portfolio. In the case of Barbados, the P.S as well as other civil servants are appointed through a government agency known as Personnel Administration Division. Thus, Permanent Secretaries cannot be hired or terminated by their Ministers or the Prime Minister of Barbados. The Permanent Secretary is the accounting officer of the Ministry.

Assisting the Permanent Secretary is a Deputy Permanent Secretary and Secretary.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Partnership Relations is managed by a Permanent Secretary, Deputy Permanent Secretary and other senior staff that ensure the formulation and implementation of policies under the Minister's portfolio. The Ministry is the main facilitator of relations between the Government of Barbados and international organizations such as the International Labour Organization. The ministry is also responsible for facilitating relationship with workers unions in Barbados and working with foreign governments to aid in the a

The Manpower Research and Statistical Unit is the intelligence gathering and research unit of the Ministry of Labour . The Unit is responsible for ensuring labour market information is provided to the people of Barbados in a timely manner. This Unit is managed by a Chief Research Officer. This Unit relays information to the public through the Barbados Labour Market Information System. This system has many functions, one of which is outreach in the form of lectures and presentations.

The Labour Department is responsible for the technical areas of the Ministry of Labour. The Department is run by a Chief Labour Officer who is responsible for ensuring the mandate of the Department is carried out. The Department's functions are carried out by three sub-divisions. These sub-divisions are Industrial Relations, Occupational Safety and Health and the National Employment Bureau.

On May 24, 2017, it was announced by Permanent Secretary Yolande Howard that the National Employment Bureau would be re-branding and the first step of this would be to re-name the Bureau the Barbados Employment and Career Counselling Service (BECCS) department. This re-branding of the Bureau is expected to increase effectiveness and efficiency. “All in all the restructuring and institutional strengthening of the National Employment Bureau will ensure that the new public employment service, BECCS, is better able to fulfill its mandate”, said the Permanent Secretary.