Commonwealth HR, ICT forum opens in Kingston today
THE TWO-DAY Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO) Human Resources & Information Communications Technologies (HR/ICT) forum opens today at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.
The conference is to be held under the theme, ‘Human Resources for the Information Society’, and is being cohosted by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR).
The forum will be officially opened by Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Dr Andrew Wheatley, followed by welcome addresses by Yasmin Chong, a member of the OUR, and Shola Taylor, CTO’s secretary general.
The CTO says its annual conference is specifically designed for human resource professionals in the ICT sector to help plan, procure, develop and retain appropriate human resources, as well as to understand the benefits of ICTs in human resource management.
Among the key topics for discussion are: ‘How could ICTs streamline the recruitment process’; ‘The role of ICT in proactively creating and ensuring an ethical workplace’; ‘Employee engagement’ and ‘Women in ICT’.
Slated speakers include Juma Kandie, director, Administration of the Communications Authority, Ghana; Hannah Ashiokai Akrong, human resources director of Vodafone Limited, Ghana; Cordel Green, executive director of the Broadcasting Commission, Jamaica; Karl Hentschel, consultant and trainer at Modern Concepts Communications Solutions Inc, Canada; Janet Henry, human resources manager at the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority; Patrick Sterling, group human resources and IR, Seprod Ltd; Busi Mtsweni, human resources general manager of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa; and Marilyn Flynn, manager, talent acquisition of the Sagicor Group.
The CTO is the oldest and largest Commonwealth inter-governmental organisation in the field of ICT. It is involved fully in the development and use of ICTs for social and economic development. The management of the organisation recognises that it must stay at the cutting edge of ICT developments in order to deliver significant benefits to its members.
ICTs impact all aspects of governance and all sectors of business. Understanding the unique human resources needed in the ICT age is a constant challenge for human resource professionals. On the other hand, ICTs play a key role in human resource management.
The CTO is an international treaty organisation, and as such, is a not-forprofit entity. Any surpluses generated through the CTO’s activities are re-invested in the activities of the organisation for the benefit of its members in using ICTs for socio-economic development.
ICTs impact all aspects of governance and all sectors of business. Understanding the unique human resources needed in the ICT age is a constant challenge