Hundreds Attend Hospitality Job Fair
[Updated] With Bermuda’s unemployment figures continuing to mount, hundreds of job-seekers today [Nov.1] turned out for a tourism industry jobs fair at the Hamilton Princess Hotel.
More than 600 jobs were on offer at the event, including entry-level postions and jobs for which no prior hospitality industry was required. Long lines formed before the event opened this morning, and the crowds continued to flow in seeking one of the jobs on offer.
The 2012 Hospitality Job Fair was organized by Government, and is being sponsored in part by the Bermuda Hotel Association.
A representative of the Bermuda Hotel Association requested that no photos or videos should be taken as they wished to preserve the privacy of those amongst the approximate 500 job-seekers who were currently employed, and who were seeking new or additional employment, and who may have been doing so without the knowledge of their current employers.
The representative also said that the turnout for this job fair was very different from the earlier February event. He said that it was obvious that the people who were coming today were “dressed to impress” and seemed to be having serious discussions with hoteliers in their search for possible work in the industry.
At 4:15 pm, after the event had closed, the Department of Labour and Training were unable to give Bernews a final attendance count.
In making the announcement last week Minister Kim Wilson said, “I am very pleased to be joined by representatives from the hospitality industry to announce a partnership between the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and 14 hotel properties via the BHA to host the 2012 Hospitality Job Fair.
“Ladies and gentlemen, more than 600 jobs in all categories, entry level, skilled level and managerial level, are available for the 2012 tourist season. As is standard practice in the industry, recruitment for Spring employment commences in the fall and winter period as the industry readies itself to receive visitors for the next season.
“It should be pointed out that we’re holding this Job Fair much earlier than the last Hospitality Job Fair in part because we wanted significant lead time to ensure that Bermudians took advantage of the job opportunities and also because we have been encouraged by a renewed commitment from our industry partners to Bermudianize the industry.”
In July Minister Wilson revealed 1,121 Bermudians had registered as unemployed. And newly released census figures show that Bermuda’s jobless rate has nearly tripled since 2000.
Preliminary results of the 2010 census show an eight percent jobless rate for Bermudians in 2010. During the last census in 2000, the unemployment rate stood at just three percent.
Anyone get a job?
so when will the apprenticeships start giving people options? when will on the job training programs be implemented? when will foreigners doing a job that Bermudians can do go home? this turnout obviously shows that Bermuda’s jobless population don’t wish to be jobless!!!
Bermudian’s have to know by now that you will NOT get a job in Bermuda, Job’s in Bermuda are for ex-pats ONLY!!, WE HAVE LOST THAT RIGHT!!!!
Well you can thank the BIU then for effing it up for the rest of us in the 80′s by condoning standing on hotel dining room tables and yelling at the tourists who had no idea what was going on.
Our tourism industry never recovered from that.
And don’t forget that the entire show was in support of a bartender that was fired for stealing from a customer.
I’m too young to remember that. Please enlighten me.
Hey, there is nothing to worry about. Work is going to start THIS MONTH on building the Park Hyatt. So there will be plenty of jobs for us Bermudians.
Dr Ewart Brown said so last year, and Minister Minors reaffirmed it. Funding is in place and work will start NOVEMBER 2011. That’s NOW! He promised it.
You can rely on it happening, because Dr Brown isn’t a complete and utter liar. He made sure, personally, before he went off to retire in luxury in Martha’s Vineyard, that Bermudians would be well taken-care of. And if he said it, it must be true, because he’s not a cheating two-faced liar.
I bet that makes you feel better.
Not sure if you’re right there Rick. Whilst Ewart Brown is probably still controlling the shots while “watching from the pavillion” (based on a comment in the RG) Patrice Minors is about to be replaced if reports on the radio are correct. That could delay the planned start, but you’re right otherwise in your comments.
Well, it would be nice if another clueless and inept member of government were replaced, but it doesn’t change the commitment made by Ewart Brown a year ago. He said, very clearly, that work on the Park Hyatt would start in November 2011. He knew he was retiring; he made the promise anyway. Either he was telling the truth about it (which we will see within the next 29 days), or he was lying through his teeth.
I have my suspicions which it was. But we’ll see.
In the meantime, sacking Minors will get another completely incompetent person out of the way, but leaves the bigger problem. They are ALL inept.
Expats are more inclined to get the work as they will turn up on time without an attitude. Bermdians love a strike
This is confusing to me. Dare I say it but up to 1998 the UBP had made sure there were many jobs that were closed to non Bermudians, or put more positively were only available to Bermudians. These included sales staff in shops – not sure about hotel jobs. How is then that now there doesn’t seem to be any “closed” jobs and anyone can get a work permit? What changed and when?
We got what we voted for maybe on day we will wake up
Just out of curiosity how long will they keep the application on file…what happened to all the applications from the last job fair? people attended, filled out applicatiuons and they are still not working…..lets see how many of the 500 that attended this time get employed..since there are 600 so called positions available…….
What bothers me is that those looking to hire, even consider anyone who ALREADY has a job, when there are so many people out of work.