Foreign waiters are off the menu for Bermuda's hotels and restaurants, it was revealed yesterday.

And a new training scheme designed to slash the number of expatriate waiting staff is to be set up to train Bermudians to fill the jobs.

An orientation programme for people who want to work their way up to the full course will also be introduced.

Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness said: "It's a well thought out programme to train waiters from this community.

"We have done that because of the number of complaints from Bermudians applying for jobs as waiters who felt they were being mistreated and that there were people who were not trained coming here and getting jobs,'' he said. "The excuse was often that they were not trained -- so let's get a training programme.'' The course -- which involves classroom work and on-the-job experience -- is a joint effort between the Labour and Training Department, the industry and Bermuda College.

Mr. Edness said the hotel industry could offer a good lifetime career, providing security for a family and the stability to buy a home.

He added: "A lot of people use waitering to go on to another job -- it's an excellent start in the job market.

"I would strongly encourage young people, if they don't have a job, to seriously consider this.

Waiters category closed "It's an industry I would encourage people to look at with pride because there are many young people in it who are doing very well.'' Around 400 of the 600-plus waitering jobs on the Island are currently held by foreign labour.

Mr. Edness said: "We wish to reduce that -- but we must have the human resources to do that.'' He also took a swipe at hotelier W.A. (Toppy) Cowen, set to retire as manager of Pink Beach Club.

Mr. Edness said Mr. Cohen gave the impression that the training scheme was for criminals and drug addicts -- whom the hotelier claimed had no place in the business.

The Minister added the orientation course was designed to attract the unemployed and "wall sitters'' and would be paid for by Social Services.

He said: "Instead of persons being given money to be on Social Services, they are being put into a work programme. The money they would have got for doing nothing is now going into that programme'' But Mr. Edness added: "Mr. Cowen got it wrong -- we have not gone out to ask persons in particular who have been incarcerated or sitting on the wall to come into this programme.

"But if they wish to improve themselves and try and find a job they are welcome. We are not specifically going out to recruit these people, but if a person wishes to rehabilitate themselves they should be given a chance.

"If they want to be trained for a job, they should be trained for a job -- a lot of people come out of prison and make a success of their lives.'' Mr. Edness said waitering had become a closed category at the end of May, except in exceptional circumstances where every effort had been made to employ a Bermudian.

He said: "Preference should be given to Bermudians in employment -- but we have to ensure that Bermuda's business flourishes. If we don't do that we will be hurting other Bermudians who are looking to be employed in that business.''