As many Grand Bahamians talk about a depressed economy and the high unemployment rate, hundreds of work permits are still being requested, according to Labour and Immigration Minister Shane Gibson.
Minister Gibson said Grand Bahamians “cannot have it both ways”.
The minister said he recognizes that in many of these cases, employers are partial to migrant workers.
“Why would anybody encourage me to give out hundreds of work permits [when] we have Bahamians who are willing and able to fill these jobs?” Minister Gibson asked.
Minister Gibson contended that some companies do not want to hire Bahamians for certain positions, and when they do hire them, foreigners are paid more.
He declared that it is not the intention of the government to further depress the economy by continuing to grant hundreds of work permits to foreign workers.
“When we come across applications [where] we feel Bahamians are qualified and willing to do the job, of course we will turn down the request for a permit,” he explained.
Approximately 250 work permit applications are being considered every two weeks for Grand Bahama, with the majority of requests made for domestic help and gardening positions, according to the minister. However, high-end jobs are also applied for.
Successive labour ministers had highlighted the need to institute a clear mechanism for Bahamians to become fully trained to ultimately take over the highly specialized positions that expatriate workers fill. This case is no different.
In fact, according to labour officials, in situations where it is noted that migrant workers have been here for an extended period of time, and where it is believed that there are Bahamians qualified to fill the positions, then the employer is given a specific time frame – between six months and one year – to find a Bahamian, who could be trained to do the job.
Currently, the labour department is meeting with executives of large companies on the island to discuss the companiesﾒ work plans regarding Bahamian and expatriate workers.
Minister Gibson has already set his sights on a training campaign to equip Grand Bahamians for the numerous jobs anticipated to come on stream once the island “explodes with opportunities.”
For instance, he said he has already talked with representatives of the Grand Bahama Shipyard to encourage them to expand the present apprentice-training program to include more Bahamians. That would be undertaken along with the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute [BTVI].
The Grand Bahama Shipyard, on an average, employs 600 skilled workers, and during peak times can engage up to 800 workers, some of whom are natives of Romania, Scotland, England, Germany, Philippines, Poland, South Africa and Bulgaria, according to an executive.
There are a little more than 200 Bahamian workers, and out of that number some 110 are skilled workers.
Minister Gibson said there are also negotiations to put together an apprenticeship program for the Ginn Development where the projection is for 4,000 permanent workers.
“We are going into the Junior High Schools, and the Senior High Schools to make sure we target persons who want to go into the vocational areas and who want to get involved with these opportunities,” Minister Gibson said.
By: Daphne McIntosh, The Bahama Journal
