A total of 66 Jamaicans departed the island yesterday to take up jobs in North America under the Government's overseas employment programme.

The number included 50 farm workers, who will be working in the United States of America, and 16 persons who will take on jobs at McDonald's franchises in Canada.

Pearnel Charles, minister of labour and social security, who spoke to the departing workers at the ministry's East Street office on Wednesday, challenged them to make use of the opportunities.

Greater value

"I want to say to everybody, these are not normal times all over the world. We are having problems with employment and people are losing their jobs by redundancies and other types of separation all over the world. We still have the opportunity to be recruiting Jamaicans and sending them to countries where people are losing their jobs. The value of your job should then be more appreciated," he remarked.

Charles said the Government was working hard to continue the agricultural programme with the US and Canada, and to find jobs in other parts of the world for unemployed Jamaicans.

According to Charles, Mc-Donald's, which has asked for an initial batch of 200 workers, could be eventually asking for 1,000.

Tight rope

Whether or not this happens, he explained, depended on how well those who departed yesterday performed.

"Not only will they send you back if you do not do well, they won't send for anybody else. Therefore, you have a double charge to do well," he told the workers.

"You are going into a different climate, a different culture and a different environment. I want you to represent your country and your people well."

Andrew Scott, who is among the 16 persons going to work in Canada, said he was very happy and grateful for the opportunity to be working overseas and was "going to make the best of it".