The Bermuda International Business Association (BIBA) is to meet to discuss frustrations aired this week by Bermudians who say they are not getting interviews for jobs that they feel they are qualified to do.

About 130 people attended a meeting at Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU) headquarters on Monday to express their anger at not being given interviews for jobs which were given to guest workers. Another suspicion aired was that employers clearly had a preferred candidate in mind even though they advertised the job, often as part of a work permit renewal.

Progressive Labour Party MP Dale Butler, who organised the meeting, said afterwards that the major problem was some Bermudians could not get their foot on the ladder because they did not have enough experience.

He said one solution would be to give Government grants or apprenticeships to Bermudians to fund them initially in the workplace so that they could get the necessary experience.

Mr. Butler is passing the resumes of all who attended the meeting to the National Training Board to try to match them up with jobs or training courses.

He is also preparing a report on the meeting for Home Affairs Minister Terry Lister and plans to meet with the Bermuda Employers Council to discuss the problems.

BIU president Derrick Burgess told the meeting on Monday that the immigration system was not working in favour of Bermudians.

BIBA chairman Jeff Conyers told The Royal Gazette: "BIBA is committed to getting Bermudians employed - it's part of what we are about.

"It is a very frustrating issue and I feel for people who are in a position where they aren't successful in finding employment, but it is impossible to comment on individual cases without knowing the background.

"There are renewal situations where employers clearly have someone in mind, but that doesn't necessary disqualify new applicants.

"It is impossible to make universal judgements on this but BIBA is committed to trying to work with Bermudians to make them aware of the opportunities.

"If there are frustrations, our awareness committee will be meeting to discuss how we can possibly address it."

The private sector initiated the Bermuda Careers Centre just before the last election and it is understood the PLP is now in favour of bringing the project to fruition.

Mr. Butler, who has set up a committee to look for a solution to the problems, said: "Some of the men and women at the meeting were almost in tears and I was very impressed that everyone wanted to work, they didn't want to go on welfare.

"I was also very impressed by the qualities of the resumes. There were complaints in years gone by that people didn't have decent resumes but that did not reveal itself at the meeting.

"I thought I would struggle to get people to serve on the committee, but I got 32 names.

"I was also impressed by the change in attitude. Twenty years ago, young people would have singled out Front Street or the Government or this group or that, but no group was singled out as responsible and there was a strong feeling that `I want to work'. That was encouraging.

"In the long term, something needs to be done, so that if a person who is pursuing a career as a nuclear scientist, someone needs to say there isn't a job for them and they need to talk to someone else.

"We've had young people go away, not to Mickey Mouse universities, but to decent universities, but where do you go if you have a degree in history?."

Mr. Butler said the main problem was getting Bermudians into jobs in the first place.

"They can't get one foot on the ladder in the beginning because employers are looking for two or three years' experience," he said.

"Given the high cost of business and high rents, businesses are not prepared to open the door to a beginner when the profit margins are so slim. That's the bottom line, so companies are trying to get people who have the experience.

"We need consultation with Government and maybe provide these people with a grant or an internship or a placement to get that experience."