“It's the plumber. I've come to fix the sink”— Square One

A few days ago someone wrote on social media that they see very few Bermudians in the following fields:

• Construction

• Landscaping

• Plumbing

• Cosmetology

• Culinary arts

They are actually correct. What they left out is the “why” this is the case — as we know, nothing happens on its own.

Additionally, this is happening in every one of the British Overseas Territories. Each one of those jurisdictions has had to import thousands of skilled workers in order to have a functioning society. The net result is an immigration imbalance that has more guest workers than locals in many fields.

So, if we actually want to address these issues we need several doses of honesty. Bermuda, has for the past two generations stigmatised those who work in the trades as less than or lower on the socioeconomic scales of society. This can be said as well possibly for other islands who have pushed for persons to work in white-collar professions. The net result is that we have little to no encouragement from homes, churches, civic organisations and, yes, even governments to guide young persons into the trades.

When a young person passes the Bar or joins an international business firm, they get a newspaper or social-media post. Those who get technical qualifications are rarely treated with equal fanfare.

Pathways to skills

If someone/anyone is really actually interested in learning construction-related skills, there are multiple avenues for them to do so. No different than if or when someone is interested in learning to be a lawyer or accountant.

It all starts with people actually wanting to do it. Here are some pathways towards attaining skill sets:

• Bermuda College courses

• Department of Workforce Development

• Easy access to trade schools in the US, Britain or Canada

• Hands-on training/learning via working in the field

• Online courses

Unfortunately, our false and inflated pride over the past 40 years has caused us to rely on those from so-called “less developed” regions to keep our islands functioning. We would not be able to physically grow our financial or hospitality sectors in any given island without those workers. The irony is that unless we have an influx of locals wanting to get into skilled trades, we will become minorities in most of the work categories of our respective islands — if not so already. This leads to longer-term immigration and demographic-related issues.

The fact is this: when we have a problem in our homes, no one is checking passports. We simply want to hear: “It's the plumber. I've come to fix the sink.”

• Christopher Famous is a government backbencher and the MP for Devonshire East (Constituency 11)