A reader weighs in on Burch's bitchin'.
The hustle truck is a great tool for easing people back into the working world who might be suffering any number of social ills, but not necessarily a sound recruiting pool for long term steady employees as many Bermudian-businesses need.Posted by Christian S. DunleavyIf there was a pool of 200 decent employees at arms reach of the Government and an equal (if not more) jobs that are hard to fill, then why can't Burch simply slot these workers into these voids? He works in IMMIGRATION!
Ask any restaurant owner, landscape company owner, construction business owner, hotel manager or retail store owner why this void exists and they will tell you- not many Bermudians are willing to do the hard blue collar jobs, especially young men. Government research has confirmed this. Problem is, most guys want just a quick "hustle." Show up to work for a week and disappear after pay day. Work a few days and quit without even giving notice. Leave the job for lunch and never come back. Unwilling to get dirty or to work in a position that they might have to serve another. Ask any one of these business owners or managers!
A foreigner is here JUST to work. They have less commitments like family and friends and are here to get ahead by sacrificing. They serve a purpose and a role in our economy. Not taking jobs from Bermudians, as perpetuated by many, but filling the gap where there aren't enough WILLING Bermudians. I am not saying us Bermudians are not CAPABLE, just not always willing. There are many shining examples of committed and hard working Bermudians. MANY, just not enough. There is no doubt we do have what it takes. However, if there were enough supply, there would be no need to spend all the time and money processing paperwork and struggling to find housing for a blue collar guest worker. It is a lot easier and less stressful to grind through this upfront to get a reliable employee than to go through many stressful incidents with several poor ones. Do the paperwork, find them a place to rest their heads (not easy), hook them up with a scooter and off they go.
It's part of our endless cycle - 1) a blue collar position becomes available - 2) not enough entry level Bermudian workers WILLING to fill - 3) eventually not enough to promote to a higher level position - 4) the need to now hire a blue collar and white collar foreign worker - 5) blue and white collar worker become efficient - 6) both positions vacated after six years - RETURN TO (1).
No wonder immigration is so busy. They have to pick up the slack from our poor education system and deteriorating family and social values that should be generating the SUFFICIENT* number of prepared Bermudians into the workforce.
*like I said - we have what it takes, but not a sufficient number of us that are demanded by our economy. This is entirely fixable. Immigration policy is just the band aid, we need a vaccine.