progress on pledges made for his portfolio in the seventh part in an occasional series highlighting the eight separate areas of the document. Every Bermudian can be trained to play a useful role in society, Development and Opportunity Minister Jerome Dill insisted yesterday. And he vowed to use his newly-created portfolio to maximise training and educational opportunities, while creating recognised trade qualifications which stand up to the best in the world. Mr. Dill said: "My motto, when it comes to dealing with this, is that everybody can be trained to play a significant part in society -- everybody. "I just don't believe in the so-called person we are never going to come to grips with. "Given the right circumstances and the right attention, everybody can be trained for gainful and useful employment.'' But he warned Government alone could not be expected to find -- and pay for -- all the solutions: "This is something which requires a partnership with Government which includes employers and the rest of the community.'' The remit for employment, careers and equal opportunity section of the Blueprint promised to "firmly establish the process by which all Bermudians will be competing and participating on equal terms in an expanding economy and job market.'' And Government said: "It is vital that Bermuda is not only seen to be, but is, a place that reflects fairness and equality and that it is a place where advancement is based on individual choice, ability, energy and commitment.'' Mr. Dill said: "Realistically, I think we've done perhaps better than we expected to do and in a very short period of time.'' He added that the Blueprint pledge to expand the Government Employment Office Job Placement scheme had been fulfilled. Mr. Dill said: "We have, since inception of that service, had 639 people involved and we pay something for each of these people to receive help to prepare them for the future. The Blueprint area under Mr. Dill's control listed a total of ten objectives in the 1993 General Election Blueprint. A total of seven initiatives are listed as complete, One is logged as implemented/recurring, while two are ongoing responsibilities. Mr. Dill said a drive to cut down on cowboy tradespeople was underway, with entry level standards of competence set for five construction trades -- carpenters, masons, plumbers, welders and electricians. And the automotive industry, hair/beauty, office administration and health and allied sciences have set new regulations as well. The Blueprint added that the department, consisting of five officers and one manager, working with the National Training Board, will move to other levels within each trade. Mr. Dill said: "What we're trying to do is narrow down and crystallise the entry level requirements of all these trades. "We want to make sure we get it right -- we don't want to be setting certain requirements and say they're done. We want to take time and deal with them as carefully as we can.'' A total of ten specialist groups are working on the highlighted trades. Mr. Dill added: "Things are proceeding nicely there and the work of the National Training Board is very significant -- they're assisting us greatly.'' He said one officer in the GEO was dedicated to helping the long-term unemployed. Mr. Dill explained: "These are often troubled people who have been out of work for some time. They have a hard time focussing on jobs and integrating themselves into the workplace. "They need to receive job readiness training which prepares them to take on a job and helps them to understand what all that means.'' And he promised news of fresh help in the near future for people who find difficulty getting and holding down a job. Mr. Dill also singled out the Jobs Skills Guide -- outlining the likely trends in employment in Bermuda over the next decade -- as another important achievement. He said: "It's going to be very useful and valuable for people who are in employment and looking to change direction, as well as for students. "The significant aspect of it is we think the job skills guide will give people the basis for an informed decision on how to move forward.'' The job skills guide, like the code of employment ethics and practice, would be reviewed and refined over time. And he dismissed Opposition claims that a drive to help the young achieve a real place in the sun -- especially black males -- was electioneering. He said: "I would answer that by saying that, when I was Minister of Education, new and exciting initiatives, and there were many, were claimed by the Opposition to be only done for an election. "I'm not concerned about that -- I am very concerned about doing something in the best interests of all the people of Bermuda. "And if that means I have to unveil new initiatives up to and including election day, I'm not shy about doing that. "When you take a look at this particular Ministry and all we are doing -- focussing not just on the employed, but the unemployed, and obviously young, black males make up a large part of that grouping, one thing I wish is that the Opposition would not do is polarise the Country on the issue of race as they have done in the past.''