Youngsters need better employment chances - GSD

The GSD has accused the Government of failing to create better opportunities for Gibraltar’s young people in the new and emerging industries.

According to the Opposition, Minister for Economic Development Joe Bossano has rejected the GSD’s ‘constructive suggestion’ that there is a real need to diversify Gibraltar’s apprenticeship programme by introducing the training of skills in IT, software development and allied services.

The GSD said that Mr Bossano’s reaction is even more surprising given that during the general election both Unite the Union and the Chamber of Commerce advocated the creation of a fit for purpose apprenticeship training programme in order to tackle the serious skills deficit.

The GSD added that it had consulted with a number of CEOs of companies who, despite their intention to hire locals, are met with a very clear non-supply of qualified and experienced workforce in this area.

In a statement the GSD pledged to continue to work with employers in this sector and identify further opportunities for the sake of Gibraltar and its young people.

“In today’s world, mobile apps, technology and communications form a very significant part of our daily lives and it crucial to the development of our economy.”

The Opposition accused the Government of neglecting and failing to embrace the opportunities that exist by not offering quality training and development of skills in this industry.

Shadow Minister for Employment, Elliott Phillips said: “It is remarkable for the GSLP to suggest that we should stagnate and not create better opportunities for our young people in the new and emerging industries.”

“The inability of the GSLP to constructively engage in a positive policy which will create sustainable jobs for the future is disappointing and demonstrates that they have lost touch with ordinary working people and our young.”

“The GSD will not rest until we develop an apprenticeship training programme which offers our young people the ability to learn new skills and which meets the needs and growing demand of modern technology business,” Mr Phillips added.

“Our outreach to small and medium size local business has demonstrated that there is a serious skills shortage. This in our view is wholly unsatisfactory. Our principal asset is our people and technology business such as IT, software design, code development, app and gaming development are important spaces that we need to train our workforce to operate in partnership with the existing players and educators.”