By Karimatou Jallow
Skilled workers are bearing disproportionate brunt of the deadly coronavirus pandemic which has shutdown dozens of businesses and forced thousands of people out of their jobs.
Those skilled workers at the tourism sector have called for supports as many of their colleagues are not coming back to work due to the fact that their businesses have crumbled.
Fatou K Colley, a skilled worker at the industry, said: “COVID-19 pandemic has affected the industry because many youths are not working which is not good for the country, whenever you apply for a job in the industry, they will reject you saying they are not taking many staff because of the coronavirus pandemic.”
“It is not easy with us after spending huge money to acquire prerequisite skills and because of this virus we are not employ. At the end of the day, it becomes something very challenging to us. Let the Ministry of Tourism and Culture help us find solution to it because I am very sure that the industry can still create jobs employment for many youths in the country,” she said.
According to her, tourists are no longer coming like before; therefore let the government establish industries in order to employ many youths to avoid theft and other crimes in the country she appealed.
Fatoumatta Jallow disclosed that the industry is helpful thus many youths used to have opportunity to travel to Europe before “but now the opportunity is no longer available because of the COVID-19 pandemic hence tourists coming to the country is very limited.”
She sells at Senegambia and lamented that she is not making much profit because of the pandemic which still not showing ending and that’s why tourists are not coming “and they are the ones buying my goods more than the Gambians, so this is another challenge I am facing now,” she added.
