Minister of Community and Culture Wayne Scott has unveiled a new short-term employment programme which is set launch this month.

The 18-week programme will employ a total of 60 people to carry out landscaping and general maintenance around the Island.

Each person included in the programme will work for a three-week period, earning $525 per week.

“We will have ten people working at a time, with 60 people in total,” Mr Scott said. “There had been some thought of shortening it and getting more people in every step along the way, but you have to look at resources and proper supervision and the like.

“It’s similar to the Hustle Truck initiative from the administrative perspective. This is different in that we are doing it in collaboration with Workforce Development Department, so people will need to register there, which is beneficial to them.”

Mr Scott has said that Government has seen an unprecedented increase in requests for financial assistance and child day care relief, and that Government has spent $36 million on assistance between January and October this year.

While he acknowledged that the initiative is only short term, the Ministry believes that every little bit helps, particularly during the holiday season.

“We recognise that we are living in some very tough times. And we understand that the challenges that our people are facing are magnified that much more during this season,” he said.

“This Ministry remains committed to assisting families in need of social services and financial assistance and we are pleased to do our part in to in some small way try and ease the burdens that Bermudians are facing by taking tangible steps to keep people working.”

Asked if it was possible the project could be extended to provide more Bermudians with work opportunities, he said: “The thought is what can we do right now to get some temporary relief. We know there is another initiative that we are looking at for the early part of next year, targeted towards small business working across the Island.”

He also noted that the project is a cross-Ministry initiative with the Bermuda Housing Corporation responsible for hiring the temporary workforce and carrying out administration, while the Department of Parks will supervise the programme and the Department of Workforce will be responsible for registering and interviewing candidates.

Adults over the age of 18 and interested in enrolling in the programme can register at the Workforce Development Office in the former Magistrates’ Court on Parliament Street. Registration will continue until all positions have been filled.