Local youths grilled the Premier with hard-hitting questions -- including Bermuda's lack of absentee voting -- at a forum last night for first time voters.

Less than 30 people attended the forum at the Bermuda College sponsored by the National Youth Council -- but those who did took the opportunity to voice their concerns and vent their frustrations about employment, education and Bermudianisation.

Three separate people asked Premier Pamela Gordon if there would be an absentee or mail-in vote available for the large number of students who are often studying abroad during election time.

After her previous answers failed to satisfy, Ms Gordon responded flatly: "We are presently in accordance with the Westminster system, and there are no provisions for an absentee vote.'' The Premier emphasised Government's commitment toward maintaining a solid economy and providing good education and job availability to Bermudians.

In discussing Bermuda's two-pillar economy, Premier Gordon said locals needed to dispel the perception that international businesses were not giving jobs to qualified locals.

She noted that many Bermudians held degrees that were "not specifically related to the jobs at hand'' and required additional job training.

And Premier Gordon encouraged locals to consider entering fields related to information technology and electronic commerce.

She said it was important to generate a "home-grown'' portion of the economy, noting: "No community can survive off of white-collared people alone.'' But one young woman responded: "We've got top-notch grades, but we are then told we don't have the experience (to get involved in international business), and I am frustrated.'' And one man said that "a more aggressive approach'' needed to be taken toward Bermuda's systems of hiring foreign workers, adding: "Everybody knows you can write an ad around who you hire.

"We are not against international business...but we need a protectionist attitude about Bermudians and the Bermudian way of life,'' he added.

Another man asked why Government had not instituted an African-centred school curriculum, stating: "The youth of this Island are not mindless sheep, and we are prepared to make changes.'' The Premier said although African history was important to the self-esteem of black Bermudians, Government's role was to educate Bermudians to make them competitive in the employment marketplace -- which, she added, was still largely eurocentric.