Barbadians Encouraged to Pursue Trades for Sustainable Employment Opportunities

Barbadians are being encouraged to pick up a trade to help them earn an honest living.

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley made the suggestion while pointing out there were plenty of opportunities available.

“There are welders, masons and carpenters working for more than bank tellers and administrative officers in Government. There are landscapers who make a decent living and earn far more than other people who work doing other things that may appear to be more glorious.

“Once the work is decent and honest, then by all means, do not let anybody distract you from doing that work. Anything in life that comes too fast, goes just as fast. And fast money, fast life, fast death. If it is too good to be true, believe it is. You can do what you want but never as long you want to because it catches up with you,” Mottley said.

She was addressing the Project Dawn graduation ceremony at Ilaro Court, Two Mile Hill, St Michael, on Thursday night.

The Prime Minister recalled that Government established several programmes which could be used to help people develop various skills, including the Barbados Youth Advanced Corps, the Highway Beautification Project, the National Transformation Initiative and the Construction Gateway Programme.

Mottley urged more people to sign up for the Construction Gateway.

“We recognised the country would face a construction boom as it is doing now. With the best will in the world, even if we were to take everybody who could work in construction, we probably would still need more skills.

“So I want you to continue to urge those in your community who have basic capacity but don’t know how to be a mason, carpenter, welder or tiler.”

She said that on Tuesday, Parliament will be dealing with the Health Services amendment which will create an obligation for all owners of properties to keep their properties clean. She noted that landscapers could benefit from this.

“That is going to mean either you do it yourself, and hire the people that weed whackers and landscaping businesses; or if you don’t do it, that Government have to do it for you and you will us back what we paid, plus a fine that we had to do it for you.

“This is going to create opportunities for many of you who are involved landscaping,” she said.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Charles Griffith said ministry will continue to host several programmes to empower people.