With the prospect of a major hotel development for the Southlands Estate being constructed over the next three years, the time has come for Government to address the issue of who is going to help construct the hotel resort and who will ultimately be employed there.

Eugenie Simmons is director of professional and career education at Bermuda College and believes Government needs to start addressing the workplace development of Bermudians so they can find jobs within the construction phase of the project and later within the hospitality and service requirements of the hotel once it has opened.

The luxury hotel chain Jumeirah, which operates what is termed ?the world?s only seven-star hotel? the Burj al Arab in Dubai, is lined up to run the resort once completed. It is projected the resort will be built in two phases and be complete by the end of 2010.

A decision on a special development order is being awaited before construction can begin at the 37-acre site, which spans South Road.

But the need for construction workers and tradesmen to build the resort, and then the many hundreds of hospitality staff to operate Jumeirah Southlands, is something Bermuda must address through training and workplace development of its own people rather than rely on importing more and more overseas guest workers, according to Dr. Simmons.

?While the conceptual development for the Southlands site is impressive, there is more to sustainable development than just the preservation of open space when building structures,? she said, a day after Premier Ewart Brown and representatives of Jumeirah and Southlands Limited presented the 300-plus suite resort concept to the public.

?If we do not have the capacity as a community to meet the work force demands of the construction of this development and the management and operation of the development once completed, we simply place additional stresses on our social infrastructure in the area of affordable housing, increased traffic congestion, additional stress on our already struggling health care system, increased crime and so on.?

Dr. Simmons is urging Government to take a pro-active approach now to improving the employability of Bermudians in such multi-million dollar endeavours.

?It is a fact that the country has enormous difficulty attracting qualified Bermudians to work in our hospitality sector and we have a failing system for provision of training of Bermudians for skilled jobs in the construction and hospitality sectors,? Dr. Simmons said.

?This is demonstrated by the fact the construction and hospitality sectors currently have the highest numbers of work permits.

?I therefore respectfully invite our policy makers to bring forward a comprehensive plan for the training, recruitment and retention of Bermudians to fill the need for labour in our construction and technical trade areas and our hospitality industry.

?This is essential so that all stakeholders ? industry employers, labour unions, education and training service providers and taxpayers ? can have a full understanding of how any additional hotel development for the Island can be sustained in the short term and distant future without placing increased stresses on an already stressed population.?

She added: ?Finally, given the uniqueness of limitations of Bermuda?s geographical size, its physical isolation, its finite population and the fact that many of our people cannot, and should not be forced to, leave Bermuda to access employment opportunities in other jurisdictions, it is imperative that all economic development plans for this Island include a detailed plan for allocation of labour and workforce development to protect Bermuda?s delicate social and environmental balance.? has asked the Labour Ministry to comment and was awaiting a reply at press time.