Weighing in on the potential jobs boon when the Fairmont Southampton reopens, Marico Thomas says we don’t have the people to fill them, and asks if those we have will even want them…
Do we want Bermudians to be the first faces and voices to greet our tourists?
If so, do Bermudians want to earn the wages that some of the lower tier, front facing jobs provide?
Marico Thomas, President of the Chamber of Commerce, doesn’t think we are having a realistic conversation about the potential 700 jobs opening up at the reopening of the Fairmont Southampton – and even more when The Loren at Elbow Beach opens.
He suggests we need to consider the size our local workforce, and the fact that the salaries and working hours in some hospitality jobs aren’t as attractive to Bermudians as they once were.
Mr Thomas sat down with our Gary Foster Skelton. (WATCH above)
In a later chapter of this interview, Marico Thomas calls for a cross-Ministry approach from Government to Bermuda’s employment needs – including housing, finance and education.
Furthermore, we challenge Mr Thomas on the motivations of the business sector.
