25/01/2012 BBC Channel Islands News

Good evening and welcome to the BBC in the Channel Islands. Here are

tonight's top stories are. Another rise in unemployment in Jersey. A

new record out of work as the young are the hardest hit.

Plus education tops the bill in Guernsey States as a new Minister

is elected and the old one doesn't go quietly.

And the Channel Islander who has her sights set firmly on Olympic

The number of people who've been out of work in Jersey for more than

a year doubled in 2011. The latest official unemployment figures show

a new record high of 1,540 people registered as actively seeking work.

But it's the young who are hardest hit, nearly one in three jobseekers

are under 25. Is it a simple case of tough economic times or could

job-seekers do more to help themselves?

Trawling the job ads on line surrounded by encouraging messages.

But the situation is far from encouraging, with jobseekers

numbers at a record high. It is the 16 to 19-year-old to form

the highest group of unemployed with 250 teenagers out of work.

They are closely followed by the 22 for No 24 year-olds. Social

security minster Senator Franics le Gresley admits it is a problem.

is vital there is not a gap between education and getting into the

workplace. Some people go travelling and things like that but

there comes a time where you cannot remain in education and you have to

get into employment. But there is hope. Allessia Zammataro has a job

now, a good job working for trust company Ogier. But it's not the job

she initially wanted. After getting a degree in criminology she

struggled to find any relevant work in Jersey and she remembers how

demoralising it was. I think it was about two-and-a-half months. I

found a really boring. I was trying my best to get a job and there was

not much at all. Everybody wanted someone with experience and

obviously I needed to get that experience which I did not have.

Allessia had to adjust her career expectations to what jobs were

available. But with money in her pocket and new colleagues to

socialise with, it's turned her life around. I have got a nice

routine now so I go to work and they go to the gym and ago own.

That is stability and I enjoy coming to work which is good.

The figures show that over 1,500 people aren't as lucky as Allessia.

Jersey's challenge will be to match them to a changing jobs market.

Guernsey States have elected a new Education Minister. But the

outgoing Minister, Carol Steere, didn't go quietly. She today called

for a full judicial review into the situation which led to her

resigning. Let's join Penny Elderfield in our Guernsey studio

now. So first of all Penny, who's replacing Carol Steere?

Why does she want to have a review? Well, of the three candidates in

the running, Robert Sillars got the job, with 26 votes. His focus will

of course be raising standards at the island's high schools. Working

with the head teachers and the senior management and involving

parents and children. I would like to say that the children have not

failed. They have always said that the children have failed but it is

the system that have let them down and this is so important to get

that right. And Deputy Steere has asked for a

judicial review. Why? Disappointing GCSE results at the

state's highschools is what started all this. They highlighted the low

standards and indicated that some children had been badly let down by

the system. That was confirmed by this month's Mullekrin Report which

criticised the Education department as a whole. Deputy Steere has made

it clear she's not happy with how all of this came about and that's

why she wants the review. manner in which statements have

been made in the public and in particular claims being directed at

the current director of education. Things that greatly concern me and

I believe should never have been said and are inappropriate. The

fact that they have not been backed up with evidence.

What do other deputies think? I've not managed to speak to

everyone but listening to the speeches this afternoon, there is a

sense of urgency to sort out the problems. So there may be those who

feel dwelling on the past just isn't helpful. Thank you very much.

The internet gambling company Playtech has applied for a licence

to operate out of Jersey. The company produces games such as

poker and bingo for Sky, Betfair and Paddy Power. It employs almost

2,000 people around the world. However Jersey is not on an

approved list of places that can market online gambling to people in

the UK, one of the biggest markets in the world.

Branches of Asda's fashion label George will open in Jersey and

Guernsey this year. The clothes are usually sold in its supermarkets

but last year the company announced plans to set up a small number of

clothes shops. Sandpiper CI have the franchise, but haven't

confirmed when they'll open, or where the shops will be.

A Jersey naval officer has helped capture a band of Somali pirates in

the Indian Ocean. Third Officer Will Jackson, who attended Victoria

College, steered the naval ship alongside the pirate's boat so it

could be seized. 13 Somali pirates were found on board together with a

large selection of weapons. It may be some time before Guernsey

homes are powered by clean energy from the wind and waves. A Commerce

and Employment report today says existing renewable energy devices

are technologically immature and too expensive for commercial

generation. With a ten metre difference between

high and low water, Guernsey has one of the biggest tidal ranges in

the world. And that coupled with fairly strong winds and waves could

mean a future powered by renewable energy. But before anyone gets

carried away, a new report is saying it'll be more like the 2020s

before anything significant is produced. I think there are a range

of reasons why. The technology is not there yet. We need to wait for

proven technology. There was a lot of technology about but it is not

proven. We do not want to be a very early adopter. The cost is ready

quite prohibitive at the moment so we need to ensure that the price is

right for business and the local consumer.

But while the 2020s may seem a long way off there are some who feel the

island will be producing some form of renewable energy within five

years. We should start things off before 2020 and we should have a

certain amount of offshore wind in the water by 2018 and by 2020 we

should have a sizable array of tidal turbines -- tidal turbines.

Some have questioned how long it's taken for Guernsey to embrace

alternative energy. Well, the waiting will go on until 2020, by

which time it's claimed a quarter of the island's domestic power

could be generated by local renewable energy.

All this week we are looking ahead to the Olympics in London this

summer. One woman from Jersey already has success in her sights

Glasses on and ears firmly protected, shooting is Teresa

passion. She's done it for nearly 30 years and today she's helping

out at Jersey's clay pigeon range. Eyeshot for Great Britain and in

the Commonwealth Games and you move on and you move into team

management. You move into being a range official or an official at

World Cups and things like that which is where I have progressed to

now. To reserve is going to be an

referee at the 2012 Olympics. have been working for it since trip

-- 2007 and I have been waiting for the confirmation letter and they

told me it would be all right. They told me I would be on the team for

the event but it was a question of waiting for that piece of paper

that actually said you were in. What was that like? Will it cannot

describe it. It is a chance of a lifetime. I wanted to ask her what

it is like a Jersey girl to be flying the flag for the island next

year. As you are about to see, I was surprised by her answer. Well,

I am a years ago actually. I started my shooting career in

Guernsey. I was born in Guernsey and I moved to Jersey for work a

number of years ago. It is great because it puts the Channel Islands

on the map. So Ray Trew Channel Islander. And one who has the

biggest sporting event in the world well on target for next year.

well on target for next year. Let us find out if that is going to

be good shooting weather. We have some wet weather across the

Channel Islands tonight. A band of rain coming in later this evening.

It will turn quite heavy and windy. It will kill off the mild air that

we have seen this week and introduce some colder conditions.

The showers there will be quite heavy and quite frequent tomorrow.

They are blown in on a blustery westerly wind. There is the line of

rain, not far from us. It will creeping in and we will see some

outbreaks of persistent and heavy rain in places. Once it moves away

from us, we are not out of the woods because it introduces colder

air and room for plenty of showers to develop right through to the

night. This is lunchtime tomorrow. We will be in between France and we

may get sunny spells but for the show was well developed at the end

of the afternoon. A bit of light is -- a bit of light drizzle at first

and then the rain will become more persistent and heavy. And it will

be windy as well. Tomorrow at some bright weather and some sunshine

and also some sharp showers and in the afternoon a few of those will

turn out to be quite heavy. The winner will be westerly and then

become north-westerly. You will need to back up warmly. For the

coastal waters forecasts there will be blustery showers. Here are the

times of high water. There are some fairly chubby surfing conditions. -

- choppy. There will be a lot of dry weather around on Friday and

Saturday but it will be cold with possibly some overnight frosts. The

change as we move into Sunday means there will be a risk of showers

approaching from the West. Finally, could do little girl from

Guernsey be about to make it big in Hollywood movie? Filming of the

movie version of The Guernsey Potato Peel Pie Society is due to

start here in a couple of months time, with places like the harbour

used as possible locations. But casting directors are currently in

casting directors are currently in the island holding auditions. Kate

Winslet is already confirmed to play the lead role Juliet and the

search is on for a girl aged between four and six to play her

adopted daughter. What we are looking for is a very natural

little girl. She must have natural instincts and perhaps be a bit of a

chatterbox. Someone who will interact with older actors. It does