'We Are a Resilient People'
Yesterday, the PLP Government released a comprehensive Labour Force Survey. While the global financial crisis has certainly brought challenges, there's reason for optimism. As Minister Cox notes, "Bermuda's workers are skilled, talented and committed. We have shrewd and capable leaders in local and international business. Working together we will emerge from the recession."
Many are concerned with our 4.5% unemployment rate. Minister Burch notes that the PLP Government is taking action to combat unemployment and create opportunities for Bermudians.
The economic times that we are facing both locally and globally are unprecedented. The Ministry of Labour, Home Affairs and Housing will continue to employ all available resources to ensure that those who find themselves facing hardships in the employment arena can come to the Ministry to get the support they need.
As you are now aware, the Labour Force Survey notes that of Bermuda’s 4.5% unemployment rate or 1,714 people, more than 53% or 908 of the unemployed were men aged 16 – 24 years old. This statistic is of major concern for us. We cannot and will not leave them behind. The Ministry will take every opportunity to assist this group to find jobs and build careers in this country.
Of the total sample of unemployed persons surveyed, one of the top reasons for leaving their last position was voluntary termination of their contract. Although these results are sobering, they highlight a need for us as a community to reinvent the way that we conduct our personal and professional lives. We can no longer just quit; instead we must re-commit!
We must continue to aim to be the best that we as a community can be. I urge you to take that chance and make any changes necessary to reinvent yourself into being a person who retains his job, works harder, and is punctual, consistent and reliable. Your efforts will be rewarded! As the Chief Fire Officer of the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service Mr. Vincent Hollinsid and Commissioner of the Bermuda Police Service Mr. Michael Desilva and so many others in the public and private sectors can attest, you can start at the bottom and work your way to the top of your chosen career field.
We must also continue to teach the alphabet generation growing up on IPods, MP3 Players and X-Boxes, who will be building on the foundations of our labour force, those same values so that they too can have and show pride in themselves. Within our communities we need to revert back to the attitude of being our brother’s keeper. We cannot ignore our responsibilities and believe we will achieve success. We must develop a can do attitude and make ourselves marketable by training and retraining to stay competitive in the global marketplace.
The Department of Labour and Training will continue to lead the charge by expanding its Building the Employee of the Future Series to meet the needs of those who need assistance. On Thursday 28th January, the Department held the Building the Employee of the Future - Right Here, Right Now workshop which was a continuation of the Ministry’s successful Taking it to the People roadshow and Employee of the Future Forum.
Over 350 people attended the Right Here, Right Now workshop. More than 150 people arrived within the first hour! The participants were diverse in age and background and all were looking for an opportunity. To those that came out, please don’t give up, keep trying! Take your revised resumes and strengthened interview skills gained from the event and use them. If you need further assistance, stop by the Department of Labour and Training as the staff is there to assist you.
In March, the Department of Labour and Training will host a Career Expo and in April, the National Training Board will host the Reinvent Yourself workshop as a part of the implementation and roll-out of its new Apprenticeship Scheme.
The Reinvent Yourself workshop will target males between 16 – 24 years old to show this cohort that there are job opportunities available for them in the trades.
The PLP Government is committed to creating opportunities for Bermudians. That said, it's important to keep our unemployment rate in perspective. The global economic crisis is ravaging the labour market around the world. We're feeling the consequences here in Bermuda, but, it's important to note that our 4.5% unemployment rate remains among the lowest in the world. The unemployment rate in the United States is more than double ours at 9.7%. The unemployment rate in the United Kingdom is 7.8%. Canada is 8.4%. Germany is 8.3%. Australia is 5.7%. You get the picture.
That said, even one unemployed Bermudian is too many - and, that's why we're providing employment services to help the unemployed and also taking action to protect against harmful layoffs.
