LABOUR Director Robert Farquharson.
By LETRE SWEETING
Tribune Staff Reporter
lsweeting@tribunemedia.net
LABOUR Director Robert Farquharson believes 40 per cent of the 12,000 work permits issued this year relate to jobs Bahamians can fill.
“In the domestic area, the farm labour area, in the handyman area, the majority of applicants come from Jamaica or Haiti. Those are the two major areas,” he said during a press conference yesterday.
“Many of the jobs that become available, most Bahamians are not interested in them. For instance, handymen, farm labourers, housekeepers, caretakers –– these are jobs that Bahamians don’t even apply for.
“You will be shocked at the amount of welders we have to approve every year. Welders are being paid $30 an hour, but you have to apply and when persons apply, we have to approve them because the employers are seeking these people to work.”
Mr Farquharson encouraged Bahamians to register with the Department of Labour to see available job opportunities.
He said the department’s online database has jobs available for more than 34 careers, including AC technicians, bankers, certified public accountants, cooks, teachers, bartenders, and more.
Mr Farquharson said for many of the jobs, certification is required.
“You don’t even need a degree; all you need is certification, and you could have a job,” he said. “But those people who are certified are not registering with us.
“You don’t need to have a degree in welding. You have to be certified as a welder. You don’t need to have a degree as an AC technician or a plumber. You need to be certified. Once you become certified either locally or internationally, jobs are available.
Mr Farquharson’s comments come as the department prepares to launch its registration drive on August 26 at the Department of Labour on Carmichael Road.
The Public Employment Services Unit also commenced a seven-week registration drive on August 21.
The purpose of the drive is to register more Bahamians in the department’s online skills bank to reduce the need for foreign labour.
Simone Thurston, acting assistant director of labour, said the database has existed for about 16 years; some 100,000 people are registered.
Officials said the Department of Labour hosted a job fair in Andros last week, resulting in Royal Caribbean International hiring 35 locals.
Comments
K4C 1 year, 4 months ago
all you need is certification ?
plus you'll need to have a basic education too
Porcupine 1 year, 4 months ago
Then why do most Bahamians I know prefer to hire foreigners for job openings they have? Especially if it involves jobs within one's house and positions of trust. Being capable of doing a job is not the same as willingly doing a job with a good attitude, being on time and being honest. Perhaps these are the problems that we need to attend to. Perhaps this is why we are in this situation in the first place. Sure, Bahamians can do many of these jobs. But will they without breaking the back of the employer? On our small family island, the people who come back home from Nassau to invest their money simply refuse to hire our locals. Why could that be? So long as we have people in positions of power who do not acknowledge these realities, we are wasting our time and money in paying them. Politics anybody?
Sickened 1 year, 4 months ago
The hard part is finding a Bahamian that will show up every day on-time. They may do it for a couple of weeks and then they get bored or got a little cash and they gone shopping to Miami. Young Bahamians aren't into making a career - they just want money.
JackArawak 1 year, 4 months ago
a couple of weeks? no, by Wednesday or Thursday they've had enough and ask to be paid. If you're lucky, they'll be back on Monday
bahamianson 1 year, 4 months ago
Too funny, but so true.
ScubaSteve 1 year, 4 months ago
This article and information is a clear picture on the very, very sad state of the youth and young adults of the Bahamas. They are obviously unmotivated, lazy, and uneducated. Many of the jobs referenced in the article could easily provide for a decent living and allow you to have some financial stability in your life. Also, I am absolutely sick and tired of folks bashing the Haitians and Jamaicans that come here and work. Instead we should be fortunate and thankful they are here to work and help with our economy. This article clearly states that one of the main reasons these jobs are fulfilled with foreign workers is because the local Bahamans refuse to apply for these various jobs -- which is absolutely pathetic and embarrassing.
BMW 1 year, 4 months ago
These comments sum up our uneducated, slack.......... either way they say it all!
themessenger 1 year, 4 months ago
INEPTOCRACY!
The phenomenon of governance or leadership by the incompetent.
A system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers aka the Bahamian middle class.
AnObserver 1 year, 4 months ago
83% of the calories Mr Farquharson eats are unnecessary.
Sickened 1 year, 4 months ago
Now that's friggin funny.
DWW 1 year, 4 months ago
The simple fact of the matter is the Bahamas does not have sufficient work force labour to meet the needs of the country. That work force needs training certification whatever but if the Bahamian is not interested in that line of work then we need to be more open and easy with allowing foriegn in to do work.
DWW 1 year, 4 months ago
I once interviewed someone for a skilled job, right up front they said they only gonna be here for 9 months until they save up enough cash too leave the country... true story. This is a young lady working on her CPA.
TalRussell 1 year, 4 months ago
The granting of 'Work Permits,' Newcomers can be turned into a' colony's positive,' --- Still, Labour Director Comrade Robert Farquharson, shouldn'' become so mystified by the reasons for why locals choose not to register with the Labour Department. --- Yes?
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