By Owain Johnston-Barnes
Published Feb 19, 2011
Government promised new measures to help give young Bermudians a leg up in the job market.
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And, during the Budget statement yesterday, Premier Paula Cox promised to establish incentives to encourage companies to create entry-level positions for young Bermudians.
“To meet the labour challenge, the Government is exploring incentives to benefit the ‘job makers’ individuals who are proposing or already demonstrating a significant presence in Bermuda, are employing Bermudians and creating entry-level employment opportunities for young Bermudians,” she said.
Further details of the plan have not yet been released however the renewed focus on youth received employer support.
Chamber of Commerce president Stephen Todd said: “I think it’s a very good initiative to suggest moving in that direction. I think we all believe that young people deserve an opportunity like this.
“I hope that what they put forward is a partnership between Government, the National Training Board, the private sector and perhaps Bermuda College.”
He said the abundance of young applicants at the Hospitality Job fair on Thursday indicated that there are a number of young Bermudians who are looking to enter the job market.
“We all now know that there are a lot of young people who are looking for work, and it is in the best interest of the country to support them,” Mr Todd said.
“These young people are our future wage earners, they will be the ones paying the taxes in the future.”
Martin Law of the Bermuda Employers’ Council said: “This is an important element. Young person unemployment is a critical issue, and attention focused on that has got to be good news.”
During a press conference held yesterday afternoon, Sen Wilson announced other initiatives aimed to help young people break into the job market, including modifications to careers.gov.bm.
“This website will be similar to monster.com,” Ms Wilson said. “Employers and job seekers will use this site to interact seamlessly and students will have access to the kind of information that will help direct their choices when deciding what to study.”
Michael Fahy of the Bermuda Democratic Alliance praised the effort, saying: “I like the initiative to give easier access to job seekers through this website.
“That’s a really good use of technology. It’s what young people use to look for employment, so that’s great. In terms of giving college students developmental opportunities, that’s great to encourage skills.”
Ms Wilson also announced modifications to the Labour and Training summer student programme. This summer 100 college students will be given professional development opportunities.
In the past, the programme was also open to high school students looking for summer jobs.
Useful websites:
www.gov.bm, www.plp.bm
www.bda.bm
www.bermudacommerce.com
www.bec.bm.
