By IANTHIA SMITH, Guardian Staff Reporter

ianthia@nasguard.com

The government has undertaken an aggressive initiative to reverse the effects of the country's brain drain dilemma, by creating The Bahamas' first brain bank.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Housing Neville Wisdom unveiled plans yesterday for the ministry to set up a working database of qualified Bahamians, so that they would be first in line to get various jobs as they come on stream.

"Far too long, many highly qualified, young, talented Bahamians have missed golden opportunities because we have failed as a nation to bank their credentials," he said.

"This will not just be an event, but it will be an ongoing attempt to prevent this brain drain that we see rearing its ugly head in The Bahamas.

"There are other countries that, as a necessity, must experience a brain drain; The Bahamas does not have to. There are enough opportunities for our young people and what we need to do, is [make such opportunities available to them] so that they are able to come back home and make their contribution to their country."

Minister Wisdom added that the ministry's first step in establishing this much-needed brain bank, is the first ever, "Looking Ahead Bahamas Forum," scheduled for Monday, July 26 from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

The youth minister explained that this forum will bring together all recent Bahamian high school graduates, college graduates and all present college students who are at home on summer break, to gather the information needed.

At the event, he added, there will be career booths set up with representatives from both the private and public sectors to inform and lend guidance of career opportunities in their organisations. For some, Minister Wisdom said, they will walk out as employees.

"Some of our young people who are here for the summer, we are going to be able to sign some of them up for jobs on the spot," Minister Wisdom promised.

"That's how serious we are about this. The young people are important to us and this is something that they deserve."

From this forum he added, the ministry will be able to jump-start a working database, so that when job opportunities are available in the private and public sectors, officials can easily browse through and find qualified Bahamians to get the jobs.

In the long run, Minister Wisdom said, eligible Bahamians will not be overlooked when job opportunities arise and will be "fairly compensated" for their work.

"There is an extraordinary high level of unemployed youth throughout The Bahamas," he said. "So all young people are able to respond to this initiative."