of job training Bermudians as "a hoax''.

Three of five young Bermudians were recently told they would not be hired by the Ministry of Works and Engineering at the end of a Government training programme, he said.

Initially, they were all promised jobs once the programme ended on July 12, Mr. Scott said in a news release on Thursday.

Fellow employees "spoke very highly of their level of professionalism,'' Mr.

Scott said.

They excelled in highway, electrical, mechanical, and waste and water engineering, but "now have to reconstruct their lives (due to) Government's reversal of its promise to them,'' he said.

"This is not an isolated case.'' Young Bermudians who wanted work at the Airport once the US Navy departed next year could not get an interview with the director of Civil Aviation, he said.

"The Minister of Transport, the Hon. Maxwell Burgess, reportedly has indicated to them that foreigners will be contracted to run functions such as air traffic control -- and Bermudians may be hired when these foreign contracts expire.'' Why not hire Bermudians as soon as possible, Mr. Scott asked.

"Where are the training (and) retraining opportunities of which (Labour Minister the Hon. Irving) Pearman spoke? Or is it all a grand hoax?''