BY ANNELIA NIXON

TRIBUNE BUSINESS REPORTER

anixon@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama’s skills gap is becoming an increasingly urgent challenge for businesses, with the industrial sector alone expected to need some 1,600 skilled workers for the Shipyard, which is a demand the island cannot meet without outside labour, according to the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce.

President Ralph Hepburn said the shortage goes beyond the number of available workers, pointing to gaps in technical training, education and basic workplace skills that are leaving businesses struggling to find properly prepared employees.

“The industrial sector,” Mr Hepburn said when asked which industry faces the most significant shortage. “For instance, the shipyard needs 1,600 skilled labourers for February. There’s no way we can find 1,600 persons for what they need in the entire Bahamas, so judge Grand Bahama.”

He said the scale and specialised nature of the demand means immigration will inevitably form part of the solution, particularly because the required certifications cannot be obtained within a matter of months.

“That’s why we have to bring people in,” Mr Hepburn said. “The level and certification that’s required, you can’t get that done in three, four months.”

His comments come as Grand Bahama continues to position itself for major industrial and economic activity, while businesses face challenges finding workers with the qualifications needed to take advantage of emerging opportunities.

Mr Hepburn said the skills shortage must also be addressed much earlier in the education system rather than waiting until students graduate and enter the workforce. He pointed to concerns raised by the director of education about deficiencies in English and mathematics, arguing that students should begin receiving career-focused guidance and training as early as grades nine and 10.

Mr Hepburn said students should be guided toward careers based on their interests, abilities and talents so they can begin developing the appropriate skills before entering the workforce. He stressed that addressing the skills gap will require more than simply expanding academic or technical institutions.

“There’s reasons behind it that we need to nationally and even locally identify and work on getting these people properly trained,” he said.

Mr Hepburn said businesses also need to communicate their future labour needs early enough for Bahamians to pursue the necessary accreditation and training.

The issue extends into the tourism industry as well, where Mr Hepburn said technical qualifications are not the only concern. Customer service and the ability to communicate effectively with people from different cultures are also critical skills.

“Customer service and knowing how to deal with people is a major issue and something that really needs to be addressed,” he said.

Mr Hepburn said tourism workers must understand that visitors come from different ethnicities, cultures and backgrounds and may have different ways of communicating and perceiving situations.

He credited the National Training Agency with efforts to develop soft skills but said greater emphasis must be placed on preparing workers for the realities of their chosen industries. Mr Hepburn urged Bahamians to take greater responsibility for their own professional development, pointing to institutions such as the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute and other technical schools, as well as industry-specific programmes such as BahamaHost.

“We need to encourage our population nationally,” he said. “We need to take a concerted effort within ourselves to prepare ourselves for the environment and the area we’re seeking employment and careers in.”

“We just can’t say the people ain’t ready. What are we doing to help get them ready?”

John Fox, owner of Seashore Treasures as spoken out in the past about labour shortages and finding skilled employees.

“Finding good, reliable employees is the challenge,” Mr Fox said. “We spend so much time trying to find the right people, hiring them, training them, and then they either leave or they don’t work out.”

Mr Hepburn also acknowledged that Hurricane Dorian contributed to Grand Bahama’s labour challenges, particularly by displacing residents and disrupting businesses. However, seven years after the storm, he said Dorian could no longer be used as the sole explanation for the island’s workforce shortage.

“Hurricane Dorian, like all natural disasters and economic disasters, has played a part,” he said. “But seven years later, that cannot be our crutch.”

Mr Hepburn said Grand Bahama must focus on creating opportunities and incentives that encourage displaced residents to return.

“We in Freeport are asking people to come back, but what opportunities are we providing,” he said. “Incentives to bring them back?”

He said workers and families will naturally gravitate toward places where they believe they can build better futures, making it necessary for Grand Bahama to create an environment where people can see long-term opportunities. He also called for a broader national development strategy that gives each island the economic tools to retain its population and create opportunities for entrepreneurship.

He questioned what could be done to encourage young Bahamians to envision building businesses and careers on their home islands rather than leaving in search of opportunities elsewhere.

While acknowledging that some businesses and homes remain unrepaired years after Dorian, Mr Hepburn said the island has also seen new businesses emerge as economic conditions changed following the hurricane and the COVID-19 pandemic. His message was that Grand Bahama cannot remain anchored to past disruptions.

“Life changes, so we have to be willing to adapt and move with the changes,” he said.

For Mr Hepburn, closing Grand Bahama’s skills gap will therefore require a combination of early education, technical and soft-skills training, immigration where necessary, and stronger incentives to attract Bahamians back to the island.