Up to 200 hope to make the cut at landscaping fair

Nearly 200 people turned up at the Bermuda College gymnasium to register their interest in joining the profession.

Many companies have warned Government the moratorium banning expats from the industry could spell disaster for the trade.

But bosses told the Bermuda Sun they had been encouraged by the turnout as well as the attitude of applicants.

Success

Kim Wilson, Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry, also said the job fair was a success.

Yesterday it also emerged the Department for Labour and Training is looking to start a landscaping course at the college, to give students a basic grasp of the industry.

Pandora Glasford, the Department’s acting director, said: “There has been a steady stream of people all day. It’s all been very positive.

“The tables are full and people are filling out application forms.

“We are looking to implement a new landscaping programme at the college in the future.

“We are looking at a course that teaches the basics of the profession and we hope to start it in September.”

Ms Wilson said: “I am very pleased with the turnout. I have spoken to some of the company owners and they seem encouraged.

“They have seen a number of people filling out applications.

“Having this kind of forum has been very useful for all parties and I think it eases the process.

“There are people here who want to work and who have the right attitude.

“I hope the response we have seen will allay some of the companies’ concerns.

 “We have ideas of how to move forward too — such as the landscape course at the college and maybe a tie-up with the Department of Parks, to get Bermudians up to speed before they join a firm.”

Optimistic

A total of 34 firms from across the island set up stalls at the job fair.

They seemed cautiously optimistic by the end of the day.

Gilly Pitcher, who runs Pitcher’s Landscaping, told the Bermuda Sun: “It has been a good exercise. It is a good start but it is not the solution to all the problems.

“I have already found a new employee.

“So the fair has helped me already. We have seen a hundred people or so today and I have had 40 applications.

“If they are willing to learn, they could get work from any one of the companies here today.

“It depends on their attitude.

“The type of work we do is not just about cutting lawns, it is much more than that.”

Lisa Almeida from Almeida’s Landscaping added: “It has been a pretty steady flow of people but not overwhelming.

“They seem eager but not many have experience.

“It is more the level of skills that applicants have that we are worried about, to make sure our clients are happy with the job we do.

“We still have key workers who we hope we’ll be able to keep.

“But we can see from today there are people who really need a job and who are willing to work.”

Roy Correia from Fairway Landscaping said he was encouraged by the turnout.

He said: “We have four foreign workers from Sri Lanka and the Azores and the future is uncertain for them.

“The attitude of everyone today was good and every bit of help we can get as an industry is good news.

“We have a number of applications we’ll be looking through and screening, and hopefully that will help in the long run.”

Job seeker Desrick Allen, 34, said: “I used to work in landscaping before but lost my job because the company was downsizing.

“A couple of my old firms were here today and one of them has told me I can start tomorrow.

“I’m pretty happy about that.

“I just want to get back to work as soon as possible as I have been out of work since last October.”

Job

Damon Broadbent told the Bermuda Sun he had been unemployed since September.

He said: “I used to work for Goslings until last year.

“I have not done any landscaping before but I just need to work.

“I’ll give everything a go if I can get a job.

“I have rent to pay and child allowance to pay for my son.