High school leavers: 30% ‘unemployable’

As of Friday, May 20, 2016

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

An ex-Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) attorney yesterday warned there was “little hope” for the economy without Immigration and education reform, and branded almost one in three high school graduates as unemployable.

Carey Leonard, formerly the Port’s in-house counsel, told a Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA) seminar that the world had recognised this nation lacked a sufficiently skilled workforce to attract the businesses and industries necessary to drive economic growth.

Suggesting that talk of an “educated workforce” was designed to lull Bahamians into a false sense of security, Mr Leonard said the “attitude” of many high school graduates made them impossible to train.

“It is not necessary to go into how bad our educational system has become but, suffice to say, about 30 per cent of those who ‘graduate’ high school are unemployable,” Mr Leonard, now an attorney with Callenders & Co, said yesterday.

“In addition, they have an attitude that can only be described as ‘arrogant ignorance’. This makes it very difficult for anyone to teach them anything.”

Pointing to the ramifications for economic growth and society’s development, Mr Leonard also hinted that successive governments and political leaders had failed to properly inform the Bahamian people about the extent of the education crisis.

“All this talk of an educated work force is for local consumption. The word has spread worldwide, thanks to the electronic age, that such a workforce does not exist, and certainly not one that is as productive as our competitors,” he told his accounting audience.

Mr Leonard, coupling education with Immigration, warned that unless the Bahamas enacted reform in both areas, initiatives intended to spur economic growth - such as the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government and GBPA - were doomed to being undermined.

“To put it bluntly, our Immigration policy is holding the country back,” he said, arguing that it was combining with a lack of educational achievement to prevent the Bahamas gaining “the professional depth we need”.

“We lack professionals with connections needed for foreign direct investment,” Mr Leonard said, citing the example of a foreign attorney who was given ‘belongership’ status by the then-government in 1966.

While allowing this person to practice law, and taking on two Bahamians as articled students, Mr Leonard said they also had the right connections, friends and relationships to attract FDI to this nation.

“One of those friends had a computer company called Commodore Electronics which, in the early 1980s, produced the Commodore 64,” Mr Leonard recalled.

“Its head office was in Sassoon House where it leased an entire floor and employed up to 40 Bahamians at one point. Many were good paying jobs.

“He also had another friend who owned Club Med, which is how Club Med got here. Ultimately, his presence created over 1,000 jobs for Bahamians.”

Mr Leonard argued that the current Immigration policy was protectionist in nature, and encouraged sub-standard performance by Bahamian workers, who knew they were safe from external competition.

“Then there is the Immigration policy that, by its protection, supports sub-par work by many Bahamians,” he said.

“Bahamians can perform as well as anyone in any other country if they have to. Unfortunately, the current policy encourages sub-par performance and protects that sub-par performance......

“Unless these two factors of Immigration and education are dealt with, there is little hope for our economy as they are already dragging the country down. In each case there is a common theme and that is attitude.”

Mr Leonard said this had never been addressed, although the June 2015 report submitted to the Government by its own Hawksbill Creek Agreement Review Committee devotes three pages to Immigration and education issues impacting Freeport’s economy.

The Committee warned that “noted deficiencies” in core and technical skills were impeding the hiring of Bahamians in Freeport, with less than four in 10 Grand Bahama Shipyard employees coming from this nation.

It highlighted how just 39.2 per cent of the Grand Bahama Shipyard’s workforce, or 330 out of 840 total workers, were Bahamian despite the company enjoying an average annual revenue growth rate of 7 per cent.

The Committee’s report noted that it was not just the Grand Bahama Shipyard but also other major Freeport-based industrial concerns that were having difficulty in satisfying their labour needs locally.

In particular, Polymers International was said to have witnessed “noted deficiencies” in mathematical and other basic skills competencies among Bahamians who had taken its pre-employment tests.

In language that many Bahamas-based employers will recognise as all too-familiar, the report said: “The Committee heard, consistently, in its conversations with businesses that there is an opportunity to increase the skill levels of workers in Grand Bahama, and provide support to make more workers job-ready.”

Warning of the consequences stemming from the Bahamas’ human capital weaknesses, the Committee recorded that the labour force participation rate in Grand Bahama had dropped by 20 per cent between 2007 and 2014.

“The success of the economic development plan rests on a prepared workforce that has the capabilities needed across the sectors that Grand Bahama island seeks to retain, expand and attract,” the report said.

“Without workforce training, there is a risk that the benefits of economic growth would not flow to Bahamians.”

B_I_D___ 7 years, 11 months ago

On point...I'd even go to say the 30% figure is conservative...

sheeprunner12 7 years, 11 months ago

Unemployable means .......... no manners, LOUD, no work ethic, no appreciation for time, illiterate, cellphone addicted, tardy, foul-mouthed, cannot take instructions/directions, light-handed, bad attitude etc ........... based on what you see on the road in school uniform, at the mall or other public places........... the number may be nearer 80% ........... You wonder if any of these Bahamian teenagers ever had any kind of responsible, mature parenting in their lives

sheeprunner12 7 years, 11 months ago

Graduate means ......... making 2.0 GPA in high school, not suspended more than 3 times, attending school regularly, coming to school on time, doing community service or work experience etc ...... based on the BGCSE results, most of these so-called graduates are being given glorified "school leaving" certificates that mean very little in terms of actual academic performance ...... if a school has a graduation rate of less than 50%, then that means that 80% of that Grade 12 class is functionally illiterate

Economist 7 years, 11 months ago

Many don't write BGCSE's at all. These are our lost society. I agree that their attitude stinks.

Yet, we must figure out how to engage them and change their focus. I don't know how we do that, but it is such a waste of human recourses.

sheeprunner12 7 years, 11 months ago

You are right ........... 6000 leave school each year ...... 75% are public & 25% are private students .......... more than half of the A-C grades come from the private schools ...... You do the Math on what the public schools produce each year ........ It is downright criminal what goes on in most of these public high schools

Regardless 7 years, 11 months ago

...blame goes to both political parties for deliberately dumbing down a nation with comparatively small population to control the electorate. Truly a crime with immense consequences.

newcitizen 7 years, 11 months ago

Blame goes to every Bahamian. It's all of the voters who have continued to accept the situation as it is. Bahamians should be embarrassed at the state of our education and country.

sheeprunner12 7 years, 11 months ago

We cannot wait to see Fitzgerald's first "National Diploma graduating class" next June 2017 !!!!! ............ if 20% of Bahamian public school children pass 3 or 4 BJCs ........... and if 4 BJCs is now the criteria for graduating from high school ......... then God help us with this new "graduation" class ........ We may be back to the old GHS days when 200 children went to high school in the whole country each year ........... Or maybe Fitzgerald will cook the books like he did with Rubis and Nygard

sucteeth 7 years, 11 months ago

Both governments have had the philosophy of keep the masses dumb and they will not revolt!! Hand out some cash, washing machines, and booze them up at erection time and they will all forget what crooks they are. Sad state for our country.. Cuba will destroy the Bananas economically..

Economist 7 years, 11 months ago

The below was posted by "Publius" in talking about the number of Bahamians employed at the GB Shipyard. I have attended courses and been amazed how many dropped out. They weren't paying so I guess they did not care.

"A contrast here being the Shipyard requires skilled workers. Many young men on that island complain about the requirement of being skilled. They do not want to acquire certification and they say so. They instead say that they simply expect for a highly specialized business to give them a job just because they are Bahamian. Even when certification courses are free or next to nothing in fees, many of them still do not want to become certified. It is far too pervasive a Bahamian mindset."

BMW 7 years, 11 months ago

There is something engrained in their head "ENTITLEMENT"

bogart 7 years, 11 months ago

Extremely alarming situation which affects the stability of our Nation, socio poliical and economic. Starting with the birthing of these kids of illegal persons and looking at the ages of delinquency it would appear that someone was sleeping. First it is astonishing that the govt policy until recent adjustments was to relate to the public that say 27 males and 9 females were apprehended as being illegal and to be deported no children of these were ever apprehended. NOTHING was ever said that there were any kids of these adults even though illegals were in the country for years and PMH or children were being born to them. These kids then sheltered by others through Haitian cultural call 'retravic' - means poor parents leave their kids to be adopted by others for a better life and then go to free govt schools without being documented or documented with easy affidavits. Within the govt school Bahamian kids know this. There are gangs and we all were kids at some time and know differences. It is no surprise that the private schools do much better with an almost homogeneous cultural population accepting of Bahamian education. The other govt system is educating two country's children in one class. It is no surprise that after spending millions actually billions in Govt Education budget over say 20 years teaching one culture in Junkanoo, history of knowing our great forefathers who built our Bahamaland for Bahamians, National Arts and Bahamian Culture etc that at the end one set of kids will assemble to honour Haitian Flag Day as their Haitian Culture and Arts wearing proudly Haitian flags and driving through Nassau. Our Bahamaland now is growing two countries within is borders where both groups shop at merchants catering specifically purchasing water, foods etc. The bigger picture needs to be seen in growing our country and radical changes need to be made in teaching to address lack of skills, gangs, culture, broughtupsy, training kids who do not know better because their parents did not have education to teach them or absent parents. It is glaring that for decades the education system has been teaching kids of quite different cultural and linguistic backgrounds that they must cherish honour and respect their many great Bahamian forefathers even though a significant number belong to a different culture. Govt policy makers need to look upwards with new policies, then forward and we will go onwards.

sheeprunner12 7 years, 11 months ago

The issue at the heart of this is that this sub-culture has no ALLEGIANCE to what it means to be Bahamian ....... they just live, work and take from us to support their own ...... Over a million and a half dollars a month wired to Haiti every month ?????? ......... can we survive as a country with this going on???

newcitizen 7 years, 11 months ago

Illegals are not ruining this country, Bahamians are, stop being so obtuse.

bogart 7 years, 11 months ago

Financials were more like 85 million per year some 15 years ago. Estimates could be higher through undocumented exports like boat captains etc. This drains the monetary system and creates fewer liquid dollars and fewer of anything means greater demand which means interest rates go up on loans etc to support Banks commitment of funds tolend out for loans, merchants to borrow etc. The export of cash creates employment for the Haitian entrepreneurs to import and grow their business to compete with Bahamian businesses. The export of Dollars also enables more illegal activities elsewhere and illegals to afford to psy some $2,500 per person to find ways to illegally smuggle themselves and illegal drugs to the Bahamas. We have spent some $209 million and have to pay taxes to repay those funds with interest to buy Defence Force boats to stem this illegal avenue. Looking at hugs crowds in unity celebrating differences with our Bahamaland is extremely troubling and a cause for national security concerns especially when in a matter of hours this segment of the population can mobilize to greet their Haitian leader and photographs in the press of some estimated 10,000 Haitians meeting Martellt at Farrington Rd should be of concern. Bahamian laws should be enforced in light of empirical evidence factually showing growing divisions flaunting and illegally driving vehicles around Nassau with foreign flags. Laws must be enforced to protect our Bahamaland especially when surrounded by Haiti and Cuba with 12 and 11 million populations wanting to illegally come to our Bahamaland.

John 7 years, 11 months ago

Absolutely and pure Bull$hit. The Bahamas is a country where many of its citizenry left school in the sixth grade. Since there were no opportunities available for pure black people, parents thought it more sensible for children, especially young men, to leave school and learn a trade once they learned how to read and write. This has changed since then 1970's when hundreds of Bahamians leave the country and go abroad to attend colleges. Many complete ddegrees and various levels but unfortunately, many do not return to the Bahamas. The opportunities afforded abroad are much greater and far more rewarding than what is offered here. So while there may be a good number of persons left here with low education grades, the answer is not to import foreigners to replace them. Create jobs that they can fill. The united States and Canada are doing it by raising minimum wages (in fast food restaurants) to $15.00 an hour and other countries are sharing their. How can you dare tell someone they are "too dumb to be Bahamian?". But this same trickery was pulled in Detroit where generations of families, would leave school at 16 to work in the automobile factories. They were productive, and many spent a lifetime in the factories and retired comfortably. Then the car companies begin to require that factory workers have college degrees. And this at the stroke of a pen excluded more than 50% of they black workforce. Black people (in Detroit) were not accustomed to going to college and many families could not afford to, despite the educational grants that are available. And so while workers are being imported into Detroit and surrounding areas, thousands of black workers have been displaced. Many have lost homes and were forced to relocate, because the jobs that were available to them for generations, are available no more. Bahamas must be for Bahamians first, by any means necessary and hence the importance of a "NO" vote come referendum day

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