Economy Minister On Job Creation
Economy & Trade Minister Patrice Minors yesterday [Nov. 21] unveiled a raft of plans and programmes aimed at putting recession-battered Bermudians back to work in the coming months.
At a briefing to expand on her Ministry’s objectives as outlined in the recent Throne Speech, the Minister touched on the creation of a One-Stop Career Centre for unemployed Bermudians, the introduction of a Job Corps and work permit exemptions and possible permanent residency for foreign investors who create employment opportunities for locals.
“… New legislation will provide incentives to 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. “The Economic Development Act 1968 will be amended to recognise and provide concessions to businesses that are critical to the economic success of Bermuda.
“Jobs that would be eligible for job-maker concessions — subject to the company meeting the requirements and up to a maximum of five staff per company — specifically: Senior Executives, including Chief Executive Officer, Partner, Chairman through to the Executive level of Staff including: Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Underwriter, Chief Broker and Chief Actuary amongst others. Permanent Residency is also an option.”
The Minister’s remarks appear in full below:
Throne Speech Excerpt
“The One-Stop Career Centre (OSCC) will see the merger of the National Training Board and the Department of Labour and Training. This has been identified as a priority in order to more efficiently meet the needs of both job-seekers and employers. The centre will be an active participant in the Job Corps programme, assisting successful graduates of the Programme in finding gainful employment. It will coordinate with the unit that processes work permits, ensuring that work permits will only be granted after the career centre has confirmed that there are no suitably qualified Bermudians available for a position.”
One Stop-Career-Centre
One of our highest priorities is putting in place new processes and procedures to make the One Stop Career Centre a reality.
- The OSCC will administer career and education development programs, maintain databases applicable to the clientele, solve problems, have relationships with employers, help place people and ensure their success.
- An online job board where individuals can search job placements, training and job search tools (e.g., creating resumes) will extend the OSCC’s services to those people who prefer to connect online.
- The need for the One-Stop Career Centre is driven by many factors:
- To offer a more modern approach to assessment, training and placement
- To be better able to form partnerships with complementary career services or resources that offer employment opportunities across the island
- To improve service delivery
- To improve the matching of skills, aptitudes and experience of individuals with the jobs available
- To have a higher rate of success in employing job seekers
- To provide more coordinated services to assist people who come to the department
- To improve our efficiency and effectiveness when working with employers
Advancing the One Stop Career Center
One of the legislative implications associated with the launch of the One-Stop Career Center is the amendment of the National Training Board Act 1980. The aim of the amendment is to broaden the scope of the Board and give this entity oversight of the One Stop Career Centre. The public may recall that the one Stop Career Center grew out of the work that stakeholders did several years ago.
The Government saw a need for a workforce development strategy to be created within the context of sustainable development. The National Training Board took the initiative to retain a firm whose principals had been leaders in the workforce development system in the United States and in their home state of Rhode Island, in the New England region. Several stakeholders were involved in the development of the Arnold Report 2005. Dr. Lee Arnold, President of The Arnold Group, LLC presented thoughts on approaches to designing a workforce strategy.
Job Corps
The programme is the responsibility of The Ministry of Community Affairs.
The Bermuda Job Corps Programme is a recommendation stemming from the report entitled “A Study of Employment Earnings, and Education Gaps between Young Black Bermudian Males and their Same-Age Peers” authored by Dr. Ronald B. Mincy which cited education, career training and job placement as major factors for the unemployment of Bermuda’s black youth.
Job Corps Programmes provides students with the guidance and support they need to assist them to become successful in long term employment. Training approaches and methods of implementation vary to allow for the tailoring of service components and delivery methods, and the effective use of resources in order to meet the individual student and employer needs.
Relationship Between One Stop Career Center and Job Corps
The OSCC will provide job placement services for Job Corps.
Process of verifying availability of resources prior to approving work permitsA system is already in place between the Department of Labour and Training and the Work Permit Section with respect to verifying the availability of suitably qualified Bermudians prior to making decisions with respect to granting work permits. This system ensures that those Bermudians that are currently seeking employment are not disadvantaged.
It is anticipated that in the coming months the verification system that is today, largely a manual process will be automated. Further, the synergy that exists between the two units will be enhanced as a part of the re-organization of the Department of Immigration, wherein the work permits unit will be separated. We are still working through what the final configuration of the two units will be.
Consideration is being given to incorporating the work permit unit under the Department of Labour and Training and/or establishing it as a standalone unit under the Ministry. I expect that a final decision will be made in this regard in the coming weeks which will pave the way for the finalization of amendments to Immigration legislation requiring amendment to facilitate the re-organization.
Throne Speech Excerpt
“The Government will table a Bill in the first session of Parliament to provide work permit exemptions and permanent residence to eligible job creators in businesses that, amongst other criteria: have a significant number of Bermudians represented at all levels of the organisation; and provide entry level positions to young Bermudians graduating from high school and college. Government is committed to protecting the interests of Bermudians and the key sectors of the economy that provide jobs and other significant economic benefits to Bermuda.”
Work permit exemptions and permanent residence to eligible job creators in businesses
In the coming weeks legislation will be tabled with a view to amending the Economic Development Act 1968 as well as the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956.
The new legislation will provide incentives to 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.
The Economic Development Act 1968 will be amended to recognise and provide concessions to businesses that are critical to the economic success of Bermuda.
Jobs that would be eligible for Job-maker concessions (subject to the company meeting the requirements and up to a maximum of 5 staff per company), specifically: Senior Executives, including Chief Executive Officer, Partner, Chairman through to the Executive level of Staff including: Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Underwriter, Chief Broker and Chief Actuary amongst others. Permanent Residency is also an option.
Throne Speech Excerpt
“However, the Government is not waiting for the implementation of the Job Corps initiative to begin to provide opportunities to unemployed young people. It recognizes the need to provide assistance now to those between the ages of 18 and 25.
The Government is pleased to announce that the Tri 30 Work Experience initiative is currently underway. Under the energy and auspices of the Ministry of Community
Development, Tri 30 began on 26 September 2011 and will run until December 2011, providing work for about thirty young people for a three month period.
This programme enables these young people to reset their personal dials by providing a jump-start to entry level jobs. Thanks to the synergy between private and public partnerships, participants are also provided with some work training courses. These include Preparatory Workshops covering such topics as Work Ethics and Time Management.”
Other programmes that are currently in place assisting the unemployed with acquiring new skills and earning an income
Small Jobs Initiative
An employment scheme which has generated short-term employment opportunities for unemployed Bermudians registered with the Department of Labour and Training.
This programme has provided a weekly salary of $600 per week for up to 20 persons for an eight to ten week period or until the allocated funding has been exhausted. The programme is now in its fifth week and is in jeopardy of ending early owing to the lack of small works. More work must be secured to keep the programme going.
The Ministry of Finance has provided the funding directly to the Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation and shall continue until the funds or the small works have been completed, whichever occurs first.
The persons are employed by an independent contractor who has graduated from the BSBDC’s Construction Incubator programme.
Bermudian’s are over the talk about jobs the END is coming and once it start’s then things will change! just look the only ones that are working in are BERMUDA YES ARE BERMUDA are EX-pats yes THAT IS A PROBLEM OH YEA!!!
Well the 80% of my company that is Bermudian want our reinsurance company to stay in Bermuda so we will stay employed. IB brings tons of money to Bermudians all across the board so I hope Minister Minors gets the support she needs. Further, the new graduates we hired who are in our training programs hope the company doesn’t get fed up and leave. They are Bermuda’s future IB execs, but they need the experience they are getting here to do it. Put Bermuda back to work using business models, not hot air balloons.
Maybe international businesses don’t want to hire Bermudians because most of us don’t know the difference between ARE Bermuda and OUR Bermuda…jussayin
i am trying to understand why HSBC laid off people year or tow ago or made them made them redundant but are always advertising for staff
the same with BACARDI – laid of 12 staff but in yesterday’s they advertise for an office Admin….
This all sounds good but I have been dealing with both departments lately and they are slow, not in touch and dont care to help. Things can be done but you need someone with some guts to put a fire under the civil servants behind to get things done.
I agree ‘All the best’ the problem is the civil servants are to busy on their computers shopping and especially this time of year for gifts for Xmas. So weve got no chance.
These concessions to International Business are too little too late! We need to stimulate the economy. How many IB companies will meet the requirement of having 25 Bermudians on staff. Total staff would have to be 35-40. I don’t think there are that many IB companies that large out there. However there are probably many that fall under that size that would love to take advantage of the new rules and help Bermudians and the Bermuda economy. Make the minimum way lower say 10 to 15 Bermudians. We need to encourage new IB incorporations/setups in Bermuda not make the existing ones feel slightly happier. We need to stop the outflow of jobs to other jurisdictions. Let’s get real, if Government does not act now with drastic measures we are headed into very tough times. Foreigners who work for IB spend so much in Bermuda and add so much to the economy it will provide the necessary boost. Also Bermudians who work in IB are paid well and will also boost the economy. The more IB companies we encourage to come to Bermuda the better. Perhaps I could be proven wrong by Government showing us how many companies stand to benefit from their rule changes.
I honestly think Patrice Minus . should just get the hell out of politics…enough of her already………..
You may count on one hand the number of companies in the next year who take advantage of the 10 year work permit…and probably have 3 fingers left over. It will do NOTHING for a local company. NOw…try and get a work permit for a qualified worker your local business desparately needs and get approval from the Dept of Labor and Training first. They will send over 5 candidates, two of which have half of your qualifications and the other three just walked in the door from having been in a line-up down at the police station. Most of them cannot meet basic background checks. The young, bright Bermudians returning from GOOD schools have a truly hard path as entry level positions are slim to non-existant and the truly hard working (and qualified) Bermudians will increasingly take work well below their experience just to remain employed. We will all be struggling in the years to come but don’t expect the politicians to come up with anything that will really help. Good luck to us all.