Outgoing Bermuda Employers Council boss Willie DeSilva has said poor schools were limiting opportunities for Bermudians as he criticised the Workforce Equity Act.

The bill, tabled before the election, will require companies to employ black Bermudians at all levels according to their representation in the wider workforce which stands at 47 percent.

Mr. DeSilva noted that while many had said the draft legislation should not be viewed as affirmative action as it would not establish quotas in the workplace, the Premier has recently declared that it is affirmative action.

He told the BEC AGM at Hamilton Princess yesterday: "The Canadian Act that this was excerpted from was designed to open doors for minorities, where previously they were closed.

"The modification and adoption of this piece of legislation into Bermuda will not accomplish that same feat because those doors are already wide open.

"The reality of why Bermudians are not expeditiously marching through those doors lies in the failure of our education system. Specifically, the public education system."

He said facilities in public education often are better than those on offer in private education yet public education graduation rates paled in comparison.

He said without holding faculty, students, parents, and Boards and administrations completely accountable for their actions, public education will continue to mire in its current state of mediocrity.

"The revamping of public education to improve success rates should not boil down to the funds that will be thrown at it, but rather, should begin by declaring what is expected of each stakeholder group, and instituting metrics that can be used to measure the continuous improvements being sought."

While Government has promised to improve education, Mr. DeSilva said the BEC remained concerned the attempts did not fully include the active involvement of stakeholders, in particular bodies representing principals, teachers and civil servants.

And he said that there were fatal flaws in the statistics used to justify the Act.

He later said a press release put out by Government this week (see below) listed the number of black Bermudians with BA degrees and their comparative lack of earnings compared to whites.

But Mr. DeSilva said those succeeding in business tended to have degrees in commerce, business administration and computer science.

"They have taken one set of figures which presumably help support their position."

Those with BAs were more likely to turn up in teaching and similar jobs, said Mr. DeSilva.

"You would not expect them to do better within commerce."

And in his speech he said: "The BEC currently have grave concerns over the time factors used in the data presented, the erroneous analogies inferred, the false assumptions made, and the skewing of data to support unjustifiable positions."

Mr. DeSilva said it was not only employers seeing the fatal flaws in the statistics being used to drive the draft Workforce Equity Act.

"Individuals from all walks of life are questioning both the data that has been used, as well as whether legislation is the correct vehicle to foster desired changes.

"Well-respected columnist Larry Burchall has dedicated a few of his columns recently to the fact that 'the numbers just don't add up.'

"The creator of the Blog "21 Square" – Denis Pitcher – has provided a careful and detailed look into some of the statistics, and poses intriguing questions on underlying levels of education and composition make-up."

Mr. DeSilva said the BEC wanted all Bermudians to have equal opportunity in Bermuda's workforce.

"The BEC also clearly see that not all Bermudians are entering the workforce with an appropriate and adequate education and skill-sets level."

Mr. DeSilva also called on Government to make better use of the Labour Advisory Council which brings together employers, unions, and government.

"The draft Workforce Equity Act should certainly have been tabled in this forum for discussion, prior to its mass circulation."

¦ Total Marketing head Graham Redford is the new president of the Bermuda Employers Council.