Opportunities for Bermudians have diminished under the OBA

As the school year ends, many of our young people are returning from university and like so many Bermudians, will be looking for jobs. 

Unfortunately, many of these young people will not be able to return to school in the fall as their parents have either lost their jobs, seen their salaries slashed or simply cannot afford to educate their children and keep up with skyrocketing prices for necessities.

Getting Bermudians back to work is important and making sure that our young people have the skills to compete for jobs and opportunities in our own country must be a priority as well.

While the OBA wanted to shrink opportunities for Bermudian youth by allowing the children of work permit holders to work, the PLP proposes:

1) Working with our global partners to lengthen Practical Training Visas, allowing young Bermudians to have jobs overseas while gaining international experience, making them more skilled and more competitive in the local job market when they eventually return to Bermuda;

2) Restoring the $1.6 million slashed from scholarships by the OBA, allowing students to complete their education and obtain the skills, training and certification needed to compete for jobs and opportunities in Bermuda;

3) Implementation of the PLP’s Infrastructure Development Strategy, creating work for Bermudian construction companies, jobs for out-of-work construction workers and summer students;

4) School Facility repairs to address the ongoing state of disrepair, address outstanding issues and create summer employment for students;

5) Expanding protected job categories so that more jobs requiring little to no skills or experience open up for Bermudians.

If Bermuda’s greatest resource is our people, protecting the next generation by ensuring that they come first in jobs and opportunities and have access to the training they need to compete is critical.

Young Bermudians must know that they do matter and that there is a Bermuda for them to come back to and together we must work to make that a reality. 

Marc Bean is the Leader of the Opposition.