Workforce empowerment

Several things bother me about the spat between the Bermuda International Business Association (BIBA) and the Government over the latter’s proposal to penalise companies who do not appear to be training and promoting black Bermudians.

First, although Community Affairs Minister Dale Butler is seeking a meeting with BIBA to discuss their concerns, I didn’t give the impression that he’s going to listen. “The bottom line is going to be a change not only in their attitude but in the way business takes place,” said Mr. Butler. You tell ‘em, Dale.

Second, Mr. Butler used “Bermudians” on several occasions when what he really seemed to mean was “black Bermudians”. Surely Mr. Butler isn’t one of those people who thinks the only real Bermudian is a black one?

Third, Mr. Butler seems to think that if a graduate from a “good university” is not in a top position, there’s something wrong. “We see little evidence of Bermudian graduates from good universities rising up the ladder,” he said. But what makes Mr. Butler so certain that discrimination is the cause? I went to Oxford University, and not only am I uninterested in climbing the greasy pole up to a senior management position, I’d probably be useless at such a job if I did find myself there.

Mr. Butler says the Government isn’t proposing a quota system, nor is it asking companies to promote individuals who are inadequately trained. However, I get the impression that the Government is hoping that by requiring companies to provide more training for their employees, more promotions will naturally follow.

But will they? I doubt that any amount of training would persuade me to seek a senior management position, although it could perhaps turn me from a poor manager into an average one. So while I hesitate to generalise from my own example, it does make me wonder if a lack of training is really what’s stopping black Bermudians from getting ahead. If it isn’t, this initiative is not only going to be a waste of time, it may even be counter-productive.

Census figures suggest that black Bermudians are still paid less than white Bermudians for the same work in all occupational groups. Clearly something is amiss. However, I’m not convinced that either CURE or the Government understands the cause of the problem, or the best way of fixing it. But then, neither do I.

Comments

[The Limey on 17.04.06 at 23:12]

I don't want this thread to degenerate into another tedious rehash of the same old arguments about race. If you intend to comment here, be particularly careful to stick closely to the topic of my post. All other comments will be deleted.

[novote on 18.04.06 at 00:04]

Let's assume that by the use of the term Bermudian Dale Butler does actually mean Bermudian rather than 'black Bermudian'... whether this is the case or not... as the substance of what he has to say about seemingly highly qualified Bermudians not rising the ranks of the major employers does need examining.

When I consider the profiles of the senior executives of the major financial institutions and reinsurers in Bermuda, what I see are people that are not only highly qualified but also have diverse international experience.

This is what they need in order to be able to lead global organisations or organisations that have to reach into sophisticated international markets.

The reality is that it simply isn't very easy to gain the kind of experience that these people have by working only in Bermuda.

Inevitably therefore if Bermudians do not seek out international experience (and my experience has been that many do not wish to do this...but of course not all), then they will find their careers stifled.

Where I have seen Bermudians successfully progress in corporate Bermuda, they have invariably spent several years overseas and successfully advanced their careers in this environment too.

Quite how the government thinks it can force Bermuda-based businesses to generate overseas career advancement for Bermudians is anybody's guess.

This is something that Bermudians have to do themselves...and the reality is that there are few immigration barriers now that EC access is available to all Bermudians.

I know plenty that have and are now advancing rapidly.

Of course there were certain sacrifices that they had to make in the short-term to achieve this.

Not everyone is prepared to make these sacrifices.

[Student on 18.04.06 at 00:07]

As a young Bermudian about to head off to University next year I often wonder what the workplace will be like when I return. Although Mr. Butler wants a 'level' playing field surely a business can hire who they see fit to do the job best. Many 'black bermudians' still go to public schools and get a second rate education. This is a fact. How can he therefore tell them they must hire these under educated Bermudians who lack a proper education? For him to say “The bottom line is going to be a change not only in their attitude but in the way business takes place,” surely is not what they want to hear! They dont need Bermuda...Bermuda needs them. Surely they cant penalise companies for not hiring from a particular ethnic background? I have no idea..just expresing my views.

[swinging on 18.04.06 at 02:26]

I find it very amusing when considering Mr Butler's position
in MEF company and the lack of Bermudians in their company. I only respect leader's who lead by example. Mr Butler has a lot of work to do in his real job that pays his bills? Bermudians are waiting for yuor leadership.

[Reality Bites on 18.04.06 at 07:09]

Fact: Most companies do not have training that will get you to higher level positions.

Fact: Most companies do not have training for lower level positions.

Fact: Most companies do not have the resources to produce real training on their own.

Fact: Not everyone wants these high level positions.

Fact: White Bermudians have done better than black Bermudians.

Fact: Whites have had a historical advantage economically, educationally and in work experience.

Mr. Butler should take the resources available at Bermuda College and international business and consolidate them into a School for International Business. The costs are shared with the private sector, and you can better monitor those Bermudians who are in the industry.

[Martin on 18.04.06 at 07:20]

It is very worrying that Mr Butler equates training to promotion.

It seems to follow the Immigration Dept belief that as long as you have the qualifications, you must get that job. Conveniently forgetting, of course, that the ability to rise up through the ranks is dependant upon a range of factors - not just qualification.

Mr Butler and the Govt are not alone, however, in this sloppy thinking.

I can also think of a couple of local and exempted companies that simply will not promote unless you have a degree as a minimum, thereby keeping capable performers without a degree down.

Experience appears to be irrelevant and counts for next to nothing which continues to amaze me.

[jake on 18.04.06 at 08:04]

I was asked by my colleagues to comment on the submission.

My sentiments were that I disagreed with a policy targeted only at black Bermudians (which was actually how the policy document was worded). It should be targeted at Bermudians without regard to race, and if there is underepresentation, then we should work on that. I firmly believe that if we are winning the battle with enough Bermudians then we will see the number of qualified blacks rise, an by extension, blacks overall.

To say that I must be trained because I am black is an insult.

The problem is that Dale and those pushing this policy do not have to live and work in the corporate world. Reputation is everything. You undermine the black employee by allowing the suggestion that they are a token to take breath.

I simply see it as ideologically unsound.

[bermy in insurance on 18.04.06 at 08:20]

I agree with Jake. The system that Dale Butler would like to enforce will weaken, not strengthen, the positions of black Bermudians in the insurance marketplace. It will encourage the notion that in order for a black Bermudian to be successful they must be helped somehow. Is this really the message that the Gov is sending? The insuanrce industry in Bermuda is not one for beginners. The Gov would be better off sponsering the 20 (or pick a number) students every year who wish to attend the College of Insurance in NY. From there, they are free to apply for jobs in the US if they choose to. After a few years, if the Gov doesn't feel like it's earning enough return on their investment then they can adjust the program. They are the ones harping on about training, therefore they should provide the vehicle for it. If they can allocate $11M to a cricket team, they can allocate some to educational scholarships.

[silencedogood on 18.04.06 at 09:45]

I don't think putting money into any type of on-island higher education is the answer. There are many reasons, which would risk my post being deleted, why on-island higher education will never get the respect that attending a respected university abroad will.

The government is just playing to the home crowd with this one. A population of 60,000 can't produce 60,000 CEO's.

Promotion is very much based on intangibles like attitude, creativity, and experience. Even experience which is the most quantifiable of the bunch isn't 1:1 because the quality of the experience can be drastically different based on attitude.

If the government was serious about facilitating people's rise it would promote bermudians working abroad before comming back to the island. Not only would it give similar credentials to expats, it would probably inject a dose of reality into some of the attitudes of entitlement floating around the island.

Still that wouldn't resolve the issue which Limey raised about not forcing someone to choose the promotion path when it becomes available. I'm not sure that's a problem that needs solving though.

[Ethiops on 18.04.06 at 10:05]

Census figures suggest that black Bermudians are still paid less than white Bermudians for the same work in all occupational groups. Clearly something is amiss. However, I’m not convinced that either CURE or the Government understands the cause of the problem, or the best way of fixing it. But then, neither do I.

Here is the cesspit that needs to be cleaned out in-order to see what’s clogging the pipes! As much as we’d like to think otherwise what else could it come down to other than the protection of old ideals (such as racism).

[observor on 18.04.06 at 10:07]

I similarly had the opportunity to review CURE's submission and agree with jake that it was certainly not worded as a program to support the advancement of all Bermudians. Government sees this program as a silver bullet to ensure rapid advancement but fails to recognise that it is essential that employees have the necessary foundation skills and experience to ensure future success.

A decade or so ago I had the opportunity to volunteer for a Bermuda College program wherein we interviewed a cross section of domestic and international industry leaders to determine what their cornerstone requirements were for new hires. It quickly became (and I suspect still is) abundantly clear that reading, writing & arithmetic (the 3 R's) were consistently considered a foundation for future success and advancement and that Bermudians were not being properly prepared in these key areas.

As evidenced by the recently published literacy report (where we ranked in the middle), Bermudians need to do better in the classroom if they are going to succeed after graduating from high school. There is no reason, given our tremendous resources, why Bermuda did not finish at the top of that list. Government should be dedicating more of their time, attention and spending towards fundamental education programs and ongoing professional development and training for our teachers (especially in the middle schools and above) together with methods to measure and mark their success. We have wasted tens of millions of dollars (if not more) building 2 huge soulless schools devoid of proper academia and qualified teachers properly equipped to do their job in the 21st century.

I have a number of friends who have lived and worked overseas for a few years following conclusion of their post-secondary education who subsequently returned to Bermuda to find tremendous opportunity as a result of their international exposure. With our UK passports now firmly in hand we have never had the same access to opportunity. Encouraging our youth to take advantage of this will do far more than forcing local employers to conduct training programs within a limited environment.

Mr. Butler and his CURE colleagues need to look at the big picture and not simply an isolated snapshot of the international business workplace. As this government absolutely loves to come up with and repeatedly regurgitate catchy, meaningless buzzwords, I couldn’t think of a more fitting opportunity to actually do something for a change by enacting a cross-ministry initiative!

[Two Cents on 18.04.06 at 10:30]

Once again, the Government has found another way to spend our tax monies on meaninless CRAP !!

Does anyone honestly beleive that this "cross-ministry initiative" will actually do anything to help Bermudians (Black &/or White) who are worth their salt?

This is another attempt to "put on a show" for the people who feel hard done by, aren't prepared to make the sacrifices that these jobs demand, and want estentially something for nothing.

The hard working Bermudians who have paid their dues (Jake, Observor, etc)and are now doing well in business should be insulted by Dale Butler and this waste of time programme. I know that I am.

[Amin Swan on 18.04.06 at 21:21]

Shifting to the Tourism side of Bermuda's Business, I've worked in the industry for over 14 years in Management here in the States. There are a few reasons why I won't come home to Bermuda to pursue a career, one being that the position of General Manager at these Name Brand Resorts in Bermuda are golden eggs for their corporate headquarters. For any American or Canadian Hotel Manager to be promoted to a post in Bermuda is a coveted prize that these companies would not easily give up. If a Bermudian is given that top post, they can kiss that golden egg good-bye. So I get where Mr. Butler is coming from.

Use the Fairmont as an example. Although there are many qualified Bermudians, one has NEVER held the top post at either Fairmont, and both have been in operation over 30 years. Something has to be done so that qualified locals can reach these top post and not have to settle for the second or third spot.

After reading many of the above posts, I find it so sad that many jump to the conclusion that there are NO qualified Bermudians, or that Bermudians don't have the work ethic etc etc. This is simply not true.

[Two Cents on 18.04.06 at 23:16]

"After reading many of the above posts, I find it so sad that many jump to the conclusion that there are NO qualified Bermudians, or that Bermudians don't have the work ethic etc etc. This is simply not true"

Amin,

I have worked in the hospitality industry all my working life (20+ years). Sure there are qualified Bermudians, and sure there are Bermudians who have the required work ethic, but as much as it pains me to say it, they are by far the minority of those Bermudians working in the hospitality industry. For too many Bermudians, there is quicker, easier money to be made elsewhere.

[wklc on 19.04.06 at 09:19]

Two Cents & Amin,

I can see both sides of the equation. Through the years Bermudians have been made to believe that working in hospitality was second class and not the most ambitious job. My father was a bartender and bar manager at Bermudiana until its closure and at a few other cottage colonies until his retirement. He loved his job and meeting people and being somewhat of an ambassador for Bermuda. To this day he has maintained contact with many guests, to the extent that they call and write from their countries, and when they visit Bermuda they come to our house, or he meets them for dinner, and he has even visited some of them in the US on his vacations.
He will tell you though, that from about 1985 to the present, the standards began declining. Many young Bermudians were steered towards Int'l Business and other careers instead of Tourism. That was a huge mistake. Those that ended up in hospitality were either there for lack of another job, or because they were working a summer job or Christmas hustle. The pride of the job has gone. Of course I am not talking about every employee. There are definitely some gems in the industry.
With regard to the general workforce, we are so brainwashed into thinking that ALL Bermudians are lazy etc that we believe it. There are many young Bermudians doing good things, and with the capabilities to do even better things. I know of some however who have roadblocks placed in front of them as to not threaten a foreigner's job. It happens folks. So it is a good thing for the government to look into ways to ensure that Bermudians progress. I know first hand of situations where young Bermudians (predominantly black males) are held back and frustrated enough so they feel the better alternative is to resign. There is a prevailing view in some sectors that we should be 'grateful' that we have a job. Our dependence on International Business has created this dynamic. We are expected to grin and bear it.
I hope that tourism can complete the U-turn and get back to its former levels. I am confident under Dr. Brown it has the potential to. This will hopefully show Bermudians that we can make it without compromising ourselves and taking the BS that we are dished out on a daily basis. We have gained so much from IB, but IB has stripped us of so much as well.
I am by no means a proponent of promoting unqualified, uninterested, lazy Bermudians just to do so, but we do not all have those characteristics.

[silencedogood on 19.04.06 at 10:40]

I don't think its fair to lay this at IB's feet even though you were balanced in doing so. I think the blame really belongs to the various government administrations over the past 15 - 20 years who have failed to facilitate affordable housing, has been overly-protectionist, and let's not forget the abuses of the BIU.

People are now talking about easing the height restrictions in Hamilton to allow more condos, and development is taking place in other parts of the island, but this is late in the game. If similar efforts had begun, even at a slow pace, back in the day housing and rental costs would not be so high. This would have relieved the pressure on those Bermudians from pursuing careers which weren't their passion just to make the mortgage.

If you love what you do, chances are you will do a good job and put in the effort required.

That being said, my experience points to a 1/4 distribution ranging from the hard-core lazy to the hard-working. It's the protectionism for the bottom 1/4 which gives the others a bad name. I'd spread that between the Dept. of Immigration, CURE, but witht he biggest share going to the BIU which loves to flex its muscles through daytime meetings and sympathy strikes. The post-fabian strike was indicative of their attitude.