Minister Minors On Job Creation Plans

Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to report on the progress that The Bermuda Economic Development Corporation [BEDC] is making through its Small Business Construction Incubator and Hands Up Empowerment Programmes to get Bermudians back to work.

Mr. Speaker, BEDC is helping to address unemployment by working with small businesses.

We believe one of the keys to economic recovery lies with small business owners and entrepreneurs with the imagination and drive to innovate and start small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, one of the BEDC’s initiatives is to provide help to companies looking to establish themselves with secure start-up funding. The Corporation also provides a catalyst to establish a greater array of services in Bermuda that, in turn, are attractive to both international businesses establishing themselves here and tourists visiting the island.

Mr. Speaker, stimulating entrepreneurship drives job creation and empowers Bermudians to become part of the engine for economic sustainability.

We will do all we can to facilitate projects that will provide employment opportunities.

You may recall Mr. Speaker that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has already announced the successful completion of three separate jobs that have been managed via BEDC’s tendering process targeting small business operators. These included the renovation of Sea Song, the Southside painting project and most recently the completion of the Small Jobs Work programme that saw 23 people put back to work over a 12-week period.

Mr. Speaker, just yesterday I announced the award of another project that followed a successful tendering process managed by the BEDC.

The Bermuda Economic Development Corporation again partnered with the Ministry of Government Estates and Information Services to manage the tendering process for a cleaning contract for the Dame Lois Browne Evans Building. In this regard, the Corporation undertook to identify prospective bidders from graduates of the Construction Incubator Programme and participants from the Small Jobs Work Programme as well as private citizens.

The objective of this partnering was to create entrepreneurial opportunities for unemployed persons.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to share that Ms. Cathy-Ann Symons was selected as the vendor for the cleaning contract. Ms. Symons has been unemployed for the last two years and we were first introduced to her through the Small Jobs Work Programme.

Ms. Symons submitted a successful bid for the cleaning contract and as a result of the contract award, Ms. Symons will be supported by the BEDC throughout the term of the Agreement. BEDC will provide training, business planning guidance, and administrative support to ensure the success of this new entrepreneurial endeavour.

The employment pool for this new venture is being pulled from the Department of Labour and Training’s unemployment database. Successful candidates will participate in a customized training programme to ensure that they are work-ready. It is anticipated that the cleaning of the facility by the new team will commence on the 1st April, 2012.

I take this opportunity to thank the Ministry of Government Estates and Information Services for their continued partnership and I look forward to continuing to develop new entrepreneurs through partnership with other Government Ministries and private business. Particular thanks goes to Lucrecia Ming, Assistant General Manager of the BEDC and Mr. Stephen Tucker of the Ministry of Government Estates and Information Services for their commitment to moving this initiative forward.

Mr. Speaker, the Government is actively generating opportunities for Bermudians to expand their skills. As we go forward, some Government contracts will specifically urge vendors to hire unemployed Bermudians and it is anticipated that this may be a condition of the award in other cases. Further, we will also explore opportunities to facilitate ‘public-private partnerships’.

Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members will already be aware of the establishment of the two new EEZs in the east and west ends of the island and will recall that an Economic Empowerment Zone is a geographical area that has been designated by law as such, and one that is targeted for social, economic, physical and spiritual development. Vehicles to achieve such development include financial support for eligible EEZ property and business owners and targeted real estate enhancement through defined development of the area.

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, 16th February, 2012 the residents of the west end will have an opportunity to participate in a public meeting to discuss their business ideas and the regeneration of the Somerset area. This event is the result of a unique partnering between the west end EEZ and the Somerset Parish Council. Collectively the two organizations will explore all of the ingredients required for a Somerset renaissance – economic, social, physical and spiritual.

Our goal is to help small businesses and necessity entrepreneurs to ‘turn their passion into profit’. We will work to identify the self-employed and micro entrepreneurs as a distinct group and encourage their passion to succeed.

Mr. Speaker, in many cases entrepreneurs don’t need a lot of capital to get started and we are committed to working with them and seeking innovative ways to support them. For instance, Honourable Members may recall that in December we launched the EEZy Shopping, Dining, and Living Money Programme which saw EEZ businesses get together to offer fantastic discounts to the entire community during the post holiday season of January and February.

That programme allowed the collective EEZ to be promoted and drove consumers into the zone. More recently I participated in the launch of the very first handy reference Business Directory and Map for the North East Hamilton Economic Empowerment Zone which highlights the breadth and diversity of businesses located in this area of the City. These are but a few examples of the innovation that the team is bringing to bear as we work to provide much needed support.

Mr. Speaker, I plan to personally participate in the Somerset public meeting next week as we endeavour to breathe new economic life into the area and give hope to people who may be seeking employment. To this end we endeavour to have representatives from the Department of Labour and Training at the meeting to allow any person that may be unemployed and seeking employment the opportunity to register right there in their own community.

Mr. Speaker, as I’ve said before, the Government is putting in place a network of initiatives, which include short-term stimulus programs and medium to long-term changes in policies, programs and legislation to drive economic growth and job creation.

In the short-term, we are helping Bermudians to adjust to the changing labour market so that they can secure jobs and prepare themselves for better jobs in the future. This Ministry’s primary goal is to continue to develop and build the local economy which includes helping to put Bermudians back to work.

Thank you.

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