The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation’s (BCCEC) chairman has called for the creation of a ‘Jobs Bank’ accessible to all Bahamians, arguing that not enough information on employment opportunities was being made available.

Chester Cooper told Tribune Business that such an online facility, accessible to Bahamians living at home and abroad, would help to prevent the ‘Brain Drain’ caused when college students stayed overseas after completing their studies.

Referring to the 5,000-7,000 job opportunities set to be created at Cable Beach come December 2014, Mr Cooper said: “We see significant job opportunities coming from places like Baha Mar, but there isn’t enough information in the public domain on what specific jobs are available.”

Hence his ‘Jobs Bank’ idea, which “individuals living abroad may access” via the Internet. Through such a facility, Bahamians studying at overseas colleges and universities would be informed of job openings in sectors such as engineering and finance.

“Regrettably, we’ve seen some brain drain from the Bahamas,” Mr Cooper told Tribune Business. “I don’t think it’s as significant as some of our neighbouring countries in the Caribbean, but it is a concern where young persons leaving college are not returning to the Bahamas to make the contributions to national development we’d like to see.

“Twenty years ago, my generation was eager to return to the Bahamas. We’re losing this eagerness. While it’s important to get that international experience, I believe it’s important for people to feel there’s opportunity at home.”

While the Ministry of Labour does operate a ‘Skills Bank’ and seeks to place Bahamians in jobs appropriate for their qualifications, Tribune Business revealed last week that a small minority of employers – just 7 per cent – use it as a staff recruiting tool.

Suggesting that a properly functioning Jobs Bank could bridge the ‘supply and demand’ gaps now prevalent in the Bahamian labour market, Mr Cooper said: “There are a lot of Bahamians living abroad who have great experience in various sectors, but who don’t know what the needs are at home.

“They don’t know what the opportunities are that are coming with the persons required at Baha Mar. What areas are they in? Are there 100 accountants needed? One hundred engineers? Until we get can get this type of information and dialogue in the public domain via a Jobs Bank, persons will not be aware of the opportunities and aware of the gaps in terms of demand meeting supply.

“The work permit situation will persist in areas where Bahamians think there shouldn’t be work permits issued. There’s a gap in awareness.”

The Government’s proposed tougher work permit policy has attracted much controversy over the past month, and Mr Cooper told Tribune Business that the Bahamas had no option but to develop a “progressive” policy to address the issue.

“When we think about workforce development, productivity in the workforce, when we think about socially harmonious relations in the Bahamas, a progressive policy is critical and getting it right isn’t optional,” Mr Cooper said.

However, he agreed with Fred Mitchell, minister of immigration and foreign affairs, that continued workforce development and training was “absolutely necessary”. The BCCEC had done its part through the Chamber Institute, providing certification in various professions, and working with the Landscapers Association and others to do the same for their trades.

“It’s not an option not to train them,” Mr Cooper told Tribune Business. “We have 5,000 persons coming out of school every year. Many may not go to college, so the Chamber Institute and BTVI, together with private sector initiatives, have to work together to advance the vocational training of young people.”

Atlantis and the hotel industry, together with financial services companies, invested heavily in workforce development and training, and the BCCEC chairman added: “It has to be a two-way street.

“Firstly, the Industry and employees must be eager for continued education and training, and to embrace international best practices and standards….. Everyone isn’t going to be an accountant, doctor, lawyer, and nor do we want them to be.”

However, Mr Cooper called for “a national effort to reach the masses who are unemployed and unskilled”. He added that in Heads of Agreements with major foreign investors, the Government needed to link investment incentives to – or at least stipulate – contributions to ongoing workforce development and training initiatives, as “the win back will be significant”.