NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Opposition Leader Michael C. Pintard is calling for sweeping changes to hiring, training, and industrial policy tied to the Grand Bahama Shipyard, arguing the multi-billion-dollar facility must do more to employ and empower Bahamians as it expands. His comments come after last month, while addressing the Grand Bahama Economic Outlook, Chris Earl noted persistent operational constraints that threaten the shipyard’s potential as a regional industrial hub.
The Opposition Leader said the shipyard — already one of the largest ship repair facilities in the world — is a strategic national asset, but warned that concerns persist about whether qualified Bahamians are being fully utilized for employment and advancement despite ongoing investment flows into Grand Bahama.
“The people of Grand Bahama deserve more. They deserve opportunity, access to training, and priority consideration for the jobs being created in their own backyard,” Pintard said.
While welcoming foreign investment and acknowledging the need for overseas expertise in some cases, he insisted Bahamians must come first and that expansion projects should include clear, measurable plans to recruit, train, certify, hire, and promote local workers into skilled and supervisory roles.
“Where specialized technicians are required from abroad, their presence must be tied to structured skills transfer and a defined pathway for Bahamians to assume those positions over time. Temporary expertise must lead to permanent local capacity,” he said.
Pintard also called for greater transparency from the Government on employment data tied to the shipyard’s expansion, including the number of Bahamians hired, work permits issued, specific skills gaps, and plans to close those gaps.
Grand Bahama Shipyard is poised to be a catalyst for industrial growth on the island, but real “ecosystem constraints” such as shortages in skilled labor, logistics, and regulatory support are hampering its potential, according to Earl. He noted that the shipyard is carrying approximately $650 million in debt while facing stretched infrastructure, labor shortages, regulatory hurdles, and gaps in the supporting ecosystem.
“The honest truth is that the ecosystem is currently our constraint,” Earl said. “A plane ticket to get off the island yesterday was $3,300. Radiance of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean ship, had to send all of its contractors home because we completed their docking yesterday. Customers cannot book enough hotel rooms in April and May to support their projects.”
Earl warned that these challenges are visible to global clients. “Every customer has a choice, and they are watching us closely. Shipyards compete globally on price, speed, reliability, and total experience — not just dry dock availability. What happens here now will influence decisions for years to come.”
The shipyard has delivered a broad range of capabilities — including dry docking, steel and pipe fabrication, mechanical and electrical overhaul, interior installations, engineering, and naval architecture — but peak demand last month exposed fragility. “Our first experience with peak demand really showed where the gaps are — in labor, logistics, and services. Certified trade labor are being asked to work 60 to 70 hours a week, many without a day off since Christmas,” Earl explained.
Regulatory and permitting issues are also compounding the challenges. “Grand Bahama Shipyard — and the Bahamas, more importantly — is getting a bad reputation due to work permitting delays. Highly qualified tradespeople are leaving or turning down opportunities to come here,” he said. Apprenticeship programs have been reduced due to limited supervision, leaving young Bahamians without opportunities for world-class training.
Despite the challenges, the shipyard remains a strategic anchor for local economic growth. “Every dollar the shipyard generates or spends produces nearly two dollars of local economic impact,” Earl said. In 2025, that impact totaled roughly $60 million, and with the right ecosystem — including skilled trades, logistics, accommodation, and government alignment — it could reach $225 million by 2030.
“The shipyard is the anchor tenant, but the real growth comes from the ecosystem of businesses, people, and employment surrounding it,” Earl concluded. “Coordinated action between industry, government, investors, and the community is essential. Real success will only happen if we get this ecosystem right.”
Beyond operational constraints, Pintard outlined a broader economic vision that would position the shipyard as the anchor of a new Industrial and Maritime Trade Zone aimed at attracting investment in maritime services, logistics, marine manufacturing, fabrication, and engineering innovation.
“We will transform the Shipyard from a single operation into the nucleus of a diversified industrial ecosystem,” Pintard said, adding that targeted tax incentives and streamlined approvals would be tied to enforceable requirements for hiring and training Bahamians, apprenticeship programs, and knowledge transfer partnerships with local institutions.
He said workforce development would be central to the plan, with expanded apprenticeship and certification programs, mentorship initiatives, and supervisor training embedded into major industrial projects as investment increases.
Pintard argued that with the right policies, Grand Bahama could evolve into the country’s industrial gateway and a regional maritime and logistics hub capable of generating thousands of high-skilled jobs.
“Grand Bahama is ready to work, and Bahamians are ready to be trained and ready to lead,” he said. “It is time for a government that is ready to act.”
