Thank you, Minister Burch and good day to all members of the media and the listening public. 

I am excited to be here today to announce the Economic Stimulus Programme Employment initiative.

Jointly launched by the Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Public Works and supported by the Bermuda Housing Corporation, this initiative perfectly aligns with the Short Term Stimulus Programme and the Government’s goal of getting Bermudians back to work. 

This new cross-ministry initiative will give unemployed Bermudians the opportunity to utilise their transferable skills and develop on-the-job skills through short-term placements with local companies contracted for government work.

The initiative will have companies awarded contracts through the Economic Stimulus Programme take on skilled or semi-skilled unemployed Bermudians for the duration of the short, medium and long term projects, for an initial period of up to six months from June – November 2021. 

The Department of Workforce Development will recommend Bermudians with the necessary experience and skillsets required for entry-level and mid-level job opportunities to companies. The Department will then manage the employer and employee relationship for the duration of the placement. The candidate is expected to contribute and further develop their skillset through this on-the-job experience. Ultimately, we hope that the employer would offer them full-time employment at the end of each project.

This is an excellent opportunity for employers looking to hire and individuals seeking employment.

I am aware that several companies have expressed a willingness to offer apprenticeship/internship employment opportunities to Bermudians and many individuals looking to secure employment with them.  

The public will know that the Department of Workforce Development has entered the second phase of its Re-employment and Re-integration Plan, in collaboration with other stakeholders, to:

• continue providing training and job readiness services to unemployed Bermudians
• register unemployed Bermudians, skilled in restricted and closed work permit categories and
• engage with employers, recruitment agencies, and other industry partners to match Bermudians with employers hiring in those specified job categories.

At this time, I want to remind all unemployed Bermudians to register on the Bermuda Job Board and upload their most recent resume to allow the Department of Workforce Development to help connect potential employees with prospective employers.  Submitted resumes will be cross-referenced against employer work permit renewals and used to determine the composition of closed and restricted job categories beyond 31st July 2021.

Interested companies and unemployed Bermudians who wish to participate in this or any other initiative can contact the Department of Workforce Development at 297-7714.

Thank you