Nov 24 - GSLP-Libs Highlight “Record-Breaking” Unemployment Levels
More than 1,200 were unemployed when the GSLP-Liberal Alliance were first elected four years ago, with the number of unemployed reduced to just 164 in September this year.
This figure, the GSLP-Liberal Alliance leader Fabian Picardo said, speaks volumes of the work done by his Government. He said: “Since records began, there has never been such a low unemployment.”
The GSLP-Liberal Alliance have also been working with the Gibraltar Disability Society to provide a new employment programme for disabled adults to enable them to have “dignity at work and remuneration for the hours that they work”.
Joe Bossano, who held the portfolio for Employment and Training before the Cabinet reshuffle last December, said it was his party’s aim to revolutionise the training schemes to suit the job market in Gibraltar.
Mr Bossano said: “The basic philosophy that you can just train people in the hope that they can get a job, which is what everyone else in Europe does, then you don’t understand the Gibraltar market and the limitations of the size of the market.”
He described Gibraltar as an “island economy”, and said trainees in Gibraltar in the Future Job Strategy don’t have the mobility to move to places where jobs are in order to continue their trade. Instead, his party introduced a comprehensive training scheme including construction, motorcar mechanics, bus and lorry drivers as well as the more popular craft trades such as electrical work, plumbing, plastering, bricklaying and tiling.
The training has also enabled these trainees to use their skills elsewhere; for example someone who has trained as a builder has also been trained in building maintenance. He said 69% of those trainees have gone on to gaining employment from this strategy. Mr Picardo said his Government, if elected, will look to showcase skills gained in Gibraltar at the international World Skills competition.
Mr Bossano said there are nearly 800 more Gibraltarians working in the Gibraltar economy now.
Neil Costa, caretaker Minister for Employment, said the Alliance administration has enabled more training in other industries for Gibraltarians – namely in the care for the elderly, care for dementia and Alzheimer patients.
He also mentioned the changes made to the Department of Employment. Now, all notifications of employment by the employer can be done online via the Government e-portal. The department has also introduced the ERASMUS system which allows job seekers to register their skills which are matched to vacancies that have opened up.
He raised criticism of the “offensive term” used by the GSD when they were in government, of describing Gibraltarians out of work as “unemployable”.
Mr Costa said: “We cannot have a more different philosophy from that adopted by the GSD. In our view, there is not a single person in Gibraltar is unemployable.
“Quite the contrary, and our mission is simple – that anyone who wants to find a job, we will do our damnedest to ensure they find a job.”
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