The first of a series of public meetings will be held tomorrow night to address Bermuda's employment problems.

And one of the organisers, Corrinne Swan, stressed that the meeting -- to be held at the Leopards Club on Cedar Avenue in Pembroke at 6 p.m. -- was for everyone.

Mrs. Swan explained that the meetings were a result of the Employment Solutions conference held at Pier Six night club in April.

The conference was designed to promote dialogue and an exchange of ideas among stakeholders in the labour economy.

It attracted a wide cross section of the community, from white collar executives to single mothers and the unemployed. Some 188 people registered to attend.

Delegates set the agenda by floating jobs-boosting ideas and placing them on a bulletin board.

They then broke into smaller groups to examine the proposals in greater detail.

Ideas included: Increasing the work permit fee from about $500 to $5,000 in a bid to deter employers from taking on non-Bermudians, such as those who arrived on the Island on holiday; Working with employers to find placements for former prisoners with specific skills; Allowing a greater range of students to be admitted to Bermuda College; and Giving the jobless a chance to boost their employment skills by doing voluntary work.

Mrs. Swan yesterday explained that several committees were formed out of people from the workshops.

And she said the education committee had already experienced some success with its recommendations.

Mrs. Swan pointed out that it was instrumental in the Bermuda College's decision to change its admission and graduation standards.

And she said the employment committee, of which she is a member, hoped to be just as effective. "We decided that among the solutions were to create a public register for all foreign workers and an understudy of jobs for returning students,'' Mrs. Swan said, explaining that the latter will help young people to make a smooth transition into their field of studies.''