Minister Minors Unveils Jobs Initiative
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Patrice Minors today [Feb.9] announced a new employment initiative involving the cleaning contract for Government’s recently completed Dame Lois Browne Evans building.
The Minister said Bermuda Economic Development Corporation [BEDC] had collaborated with the Ministry of Government Estates and Information Services to manage the bidding process for the contract.
“The BEDC undertook to identify prospective bidders from graduates of the Construction Incubator and participants in the Small Jobs Work Programme and private citizens,” she said. “The goal behind this partnering is to create entrepreneurial opportunities for unemployed persons.
“Today, I am pleased to announce that the selected candidate for the cleaning contract is Ms Cathy-Ann Symons. Ms Symons was unemployed for the last two years and we were first introduced to her through the Small Jobs Works Programme.”
The new entrepreneur will also taking on unemployed workers via the Department of Labour & Training as a condition of the contract.
Minister Minors, Cathy-Ann Symons and Lucrecia Ming, Assistant General Manager of the BEDC:
The Minister’s full statement appears below:
Good morning and thank you for joining me today.
The Bermuda Economic Development Corporation through its Small Business Construction Incubator and Hands Up Empowerment Programmes are actively working to get Bermudians back to work.
You may recall that this Ministry has announced the successful completion of three separate jobs that have been managed by BEDC’s tendering process; 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.
Today, I am pleased to announce another successful tendering process managed by the BEDC.
We are standing in the newly completed, beautiful Dame Lois Browne Evans Building because BEDC has again partnered with the Ministry of Government Estates and Information Services to manage a cleaning contract tendering process for this building.
The BEDC undertook to identify prospective bidders from graduates of the Construction Incubator and participants in the Small Jobs Work Programme and private citizens.
The goal behind this partnering is to create entrepreneurial opportunities for unemployed persons.
Today, I am pleased to announce that the selected candidate for the cleaning contract is Ms. Cathy-Ann Symons.
Ms. Symons was unemployed for the last two years and we were first introduced to her through the Small Jobs Works Programme.
Ms. Symons will be supported by the BEDC throughout this process by providing training, business planning guidance, and administrative support to ensure the success of this new entrepreneurial endeavor. As a further note, Ms. Symons will hire unemployed workers via the Department of Labour and Training as a condition of the award.
We thank the Ministry of Government Estates and Information Services for their continued partnership and look forward to continuing to develop new entrepreneurs through partnership with other Government Ministries and private business.
This Ministry’s primary goal is to continue to develop and build the local Bermuda economy which includes helping put Bermudians back to work.
The BEDC, will continue to seek out opportunities to employ and create new local business.
Thank you.
This just means that the company that did have the cleaning contract now has less work and will have to lay off people.
All Ms. Minors has done here is replace active workers with unemployed workers. She has NOT created any new jobs. So how is this a “Jobs initiative”?
Very good point….
Way to go Minister Minus! That’s a really big building so we’ll need lots of people to clean it… say about 50?
Well done Minister Minor,
Thanks for giving the contract to Bermudians, and ensuring they have work first. So if replacing the contract to ensure jobs are given to Bermudians this is the right move… Yes…..an unemployed Bermudian now has a job……the way to go…..
There was not a cleaning contract in place since the building opened. Government employees were taking care of the cleaning on a rotating basis so really no firm was fired or people lost jobs..So this is a new jobs iniative. My only concern is that Mrs. Symons will quickly be overwhelmed by the calibre of people that she will be required to hire to fulfil this contract. Granted it is only for office cleaning so 2-3 hours daily so perhaps she may be okay.. Lord knows that if she were to rely on these same people for a 40 hour week, she would be in trouble.
I run a cleaning company. So I speak from experience. Good luck to you Mrs. Symons.
“Somebody” was cleaning the Courthouse Building and now they are not. As I am sure they were being paid, they now don’t have a building to clean. A Bermudian cleaner has just been replaced by a Bermudian cleaner – and this woman will now have cleaners that won’t show up for work, do a piss poor job, on their BBs all day and find a nice corner in the building to sleep!
I certainly won’t have a Bermudian clean my home.
Hello Cleaner,
Are you currently hiring? I have a family member who is willing to work nights or early morning hiring. If you are can you answer to the post and leave your contact with Bernews please.
Serious….I still want to know the names of the beneficiaries of the Trust that was awarded 30% of the multimillion dollar contract to construct the Dame Lois Browne Evans building.
Now we are talking about unveiling something…
Wow, this makes a lot of sense, this is like hamsters going round and round in their running ball. I cannot believe this, all Bermuda cleaning companies are owned by hardworking Bermudians, so don’t give it to the cleaning companies that have the equipment and experience but no they give it to this person. Which as Mr West says, that contractor has now lost jobs for staff. Hey whoever lost their jobs cleaning there should contact the minister and ask if they can work with Ms. Symons. This is brilliant…2 steps backward….bravo!
Any updates on attracting foreign investment to the island from this ministry would be encouraging……again, potatoes roasting in the oven but the meat is still frozen……
@all clogged up…….Go ask your silent colt leader Mr. Cannioner, and others of the OBA/UBP what investments plans they have to improve our economy? What is their long term plan,,,, before you attempt to mock the PLP government. Done attempt to throw stones, when in fact the OBA/UBP have no ideas that are original and different.
For One, Bermuda would not be $2 Billion in debt right now.
yeah @ Dave….it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that Billions of dollars that used to flow through BDA are now flowing through Ireland,
Switzerland, New Hempshire and Vermont…..we’re losing, they’re gaining and Specialgirl4you would probably understand whats happened when she can’t afford to gas up her SUV, her son returns home with a MBA but the only jobs posted are for pot washers or landscapers, and her apartment is unrented.
Does this person have the training to cleaning and buff marble flooring, does she have the machines for polishing the floors. Perhaps the Government will buy her the machines to do her job. Something they would not do for any of the cleaning contractors out there. Guess they have to subcontract the floor work and exterior window cleaning.
Will the Government be giving all their offices to individuals who are out of work?
As a small business owner, I say good luck to Ms.Symons.
She’ll need it, dealing with everything that comes along with running a business in Bermuda.
Well in whatever form it is this should have been happeneing many moons ago as there are many of us struggling and good many thriving off of those struggling so lets get the balance and stop talking and more work being done to close that gap.