Bermudian "attitudes" and basic skill levels must be addressed if the Island is going to maintain job levels in the coming economic downturn, a Warwick forum on employment heard last night.

And the key to minimising the number of "wall-sitters" and partially-employed young people in the country lies in attentive parenting and getting children interested in working from a young age, forum panellists and attendees seemed to agree.

"If there is full employment in Bermuda, why do we have 16 to 30 year olds home without permanent employment" was the topic of the meeting organised by Warwick MP Dale Butler.

Mr. Butler told those gathered the night's topic had been chosen before the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US changed the global economic landscape immeasurably.

Those that attended the forum heard tough talk from the three speakers in St. Mary's Church hall.

"I want talk about attitudes," said businessman Rodney Smith. "Attitudes of Bermudians and having to deal with attitudes of Bermudians."

Mr. Smith said too many young Bermudian men had become "mama's boys" who allow their mothers to care for them entirely until they find a woman "just like mama" to do the same. And Mr. Smith said these mothers are so afraid to lose their sons that they let them get away with too much - including not searching out and successfully sticking out full time employment. Too often no Bermudians even apply for jobs that go to foreigners, Mr. Smith said and he likened the relationship between Bermudians and expatriates in the workplace to a game of football where the expatriates are getting "too many free kicks".

Mr. Smith said not answering job ads, not showing up for work, being late for work and taking too much time off work were all examples of Bermudians allowing free kicks - which foreigners are only too happy to take.

"Our children speak in slang and broken language and we say `don't bother them, they sound nice'," he said.

CARE Learning Centre founder and operator Neletha Butterfield offered some sobering facts about many of the young people she encounters at her school which offers skills training including assistance in passing high school equivalency tests.

She read from essays of 17 and 18 year olds filled with spelling and grammatical errors to the point they were almost incomprehensible.

National Training Board executive officer Michael Stowe told the crowd that Bermudians must recognise the importance of technical trades and the vital - and profitable - role these play in our society.

Many of those gathered in the hall suggested the key to avoiding problems in young adults is to catch children at age ten through 12 and bring them into work or apprenticeship programmes while they still demonstrate enthusiasm.

And Mr. Butler urged the crowd to approach businesses and Government with concrete plans to make such programmes happen.