Employers must ‘exhaust’ an actual list of unemployed locals before getting work permits
Employers in the British Virgin Islands are now required to prove that they have fully exhausted the territory’s pool of unemployed locals before any of their work permit applications are approved.
Premier Andrew Fahie described this as one of government’s newest Labour policies as his administration endeavours to provide 1,000 jobs in 1,000 days to BVIslanders.
He said a list of unemployed locals and the type of job that they are capable of doing has been compiled for employers.
He further said this ‘Locals First’ policy is already in place.
“We are working out some policies with the Ministry of Natural Resources & Labour where we are going to ensure that whether it is marine or other areas, the belongers are the ones who get the job first,” the Premier said.
“The Labour Department already has the list and any employer that calls, ‘no work permit’ will be given out until you have proven that you have exhausted all the BVIslanders and belongers that are on the list,” he added.
MOU
In the meantime, Premier Fahie announced that Little Dix Hotel on Virgin Gorda has promised to hire about 250 locals once they reopen.
He explained that a document resembling a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) would be signed between the government and the said hotel as well as other tourism establishments in that regard.
“One of the recommendations or conditions [of the MOU] is our people must benefit through these jobs and other areas,” Fahie said.
The Premier also said a team would be canvasing the districts to ensure that everyone in the territory who wants to work, will find work.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
This is a great initiative and long needed.
The Belonger wants a check and no work. This initiative will only cause businesses to fail and go bankrupt just like the government. And look who works there. This is a bad move. Employers should be made to advertise a position for 30 days allowing all who WANT TO WORK to apply. After that the employer should be able to hire anyone he wants
This seems to be an excellent forum for you people to bash BVIslanders. If you hate the people so much why are you here?
to boost your economy
And make yourself some US Dollars. Do not forget that, especially since some of you like hanging out on the block and seems to be adding not a doggone thing to our economy. Just taking out of the economy.
Carlos
A number of BVIslanders have credentials which far exceed these expatriates who get snuck in under the radar and former slackness. I applaud VIP for putting a stop to this foolishness!
Anyone who had four years of accounting can learn excel in just a few days. Stop making up silly excuses.
There are three views one must look at when analyzing the mind of man, and the mentality currently invading our shores of the last seventy years.
1) Some will be welcomed into your home, be fed, sheltered and comforted, then they will turn right around, stab you in the back, and try to evict you from your own home. That . mentality exist in many of our brothers and sisters from the Caribbean who are living right here among us.
2) We must also be cognizant of the historic DIVIDE, CONQUER AND RULE tactics employed by the Anglo Saxon to keep us fighting and killing each other.
It is quite evident, with some scrunity of some of the comments of such ilk constantly being a common feature on this and other sites, that they are being directly posted by non Caribbean Nationals.
Which, appears, a blatant attempt to put and keep the local hating and fighting against the the Caribbean National/”Island Black person.” We must be completely aware of and not fall victim to such external psychological warfare against us.
3) In real life here and present, while living in peace and void of needs, pay slave wages, buys up all the best lands, and then import segregation and racism, two horrible human diseases, to the lands are imported features that have forever poisoned and altered the BVI culture.
Therefore, what we are living today is a continuation of a war still in progress against the Black, wherever he exist on earth today.
War is man insanity to man. Man speaks of evil, but it is in man’s heart where evil lives. He who deliberately divides the people through promoting and planting divisionist seeds are minds of evil, whether that evil comes from the Black Caribbean or the Anglo Saxon..
We locals must be awoke to all attacks against us from all fronts.
local hire the most expats…tell me why….not even them own family wuk for them..hmmmm bout woke…IH please…cult member you are.
Wise words,some read but don’t over stand the message #blessup knowledge is understanding and some are blinded or is it that the truth hurts. They fail to realize what is going on. The black Caribbean aren’t the ones purchasing the best lands! Do we even reside in these rich(whites only) community? Not even the locals can afford
And the quality of them men work would be like our international standard roads ! God bless that hotel!
TO ADVERTISE THE JOB FOR 2 WEEKS IN THE NEWSPAPER IS THE REQUIREMENT FOR OVER 30 YEARS. THOSE ADS HAD TO BE ATTACHED TO THE APPLICATION.
DIDN’T KNOW IT HAD CHANGED
In what country in the world do the citizens take last place. Stop with your racist and colonial jibber jabber! If the country was so bankrupt why do all of you want to stay so badly. Give it a rest!
Don’t your citizens come first in your country?
Have you ever seen the road workers lay asphalt. 10 sitting and 2 working, water and sewerage well is the worse. BVIslanders don’t want to or just don’t care to work. Mr. Premier you are making a bad decision. don’t compere the BVI whit the other British Territory; they have a completely different mindset. Please train your people to be diligent and attentive, be committed and innovative. do not bankrupt your country. Employers needs the best and you definitely not looking beyond the job promises you made.
How in Gods name you could promise 1000 jobs in 1000 days on an island with 33000 people? what were you thinking? this cannot happen and you should have done some studies on the employment ratio first. The jobs available now are construction and maintenance. your bvi children don’t want that.
Yes because all expats on permit are excellent workers and none are lazy, have bad attitudes or flat out useless right? Okay!
No body perfect…but most come to work..pay them taxes..buy commodities…etc..not come work with them is stink attitude.. burn weed and show up whenever ..you can’t see gov don’t want them.
You are working for us, fool. Whose building do you think you are helping to construct?
But make sure you pack up and return home when the job is done, because we are not selling any more land. The one thing you cannot do is own a house in your country.
We have been sent the details of already employed persons who we have to interview before a work permit can be approved…. it is not just unemployed.
Some may not be ‘gainfully” employed. If there are better opportunities, then locals should be first preference. I have no problem with that.
Then they should show initiative and apply for the position.
Now he cooking with gas
Great move Premier, great move.
I will say it also, a very good move.
Glad this is put in place.
How do you get on the list
So MR.Premier you are saying if there is 500 unemployed person on this list I have 1 vacant position in my company I hire 1 this one last let’s say 3 months I come back take a next one this one last let’s say 2 months, you now telling me to come take a next one? No way first of all you have to make sure what’s on offer is in their best interest and not just showing up far a salary because eventually after sometime they will quit an I can’t stifle my business because I’m trying to help locals who don’t want to help themselves… on a next note let’s debate under the previous administration there was a similar program,jobs fair etc,etc. How many of these people gained employment then are now registered as unemployed,how many jobs some of them already past through?why they not staying on the job? Answer and reality check once it’s not a government job where they can go to and waste time or show up when they feel like and do as them like cause them from here they not going stay in private sector… Mr.Premier act like you know what going on….
If you have this problem you should look at your organization rather than the people.
It sounds like you rather persons on permit that will feel obligated to stay under what ever poor conditions just to remain in the country.
No . It sounds to me that he simply wants people with a work ethic … people who will show up on time everyday and people who will actually do some work . Simple .
Not like the mess he continues to create at the ports.
Carlos
Perhaps local need to sign a contract for 5yrs, then they would get a taste how island folks feel.
Hummmm
So why all the work permits for the resorts like Saba Rock, BEYC and Little Dix Bay ?? And i hear there are bring in BRINING IN loads of temp staff for Necker and Mosquito Islands
Where are the jobs for the locals there???
Those are big players. The government won’t provoke them.
About Nicker Island and Mosqueto Island, they are not really part of the BVI. Never go where you are not wanted. Please leave them over there with their Arian race.
Please go learn to spell.
Why would BVI sell whole islands to white people? Selling yourself back into slavery. They get the best of everything and we fighting for the scraps. We own the country but yet we are begging white people and other foreigners to hire us. It’s laughable.
I work too many place were local don’t care to work people from down island want work why should these hotel employ local when they can’t even make up a bed what the government need to do is train people even to do house keeping so who can’t manage other high job they are employ in hotel ,restaurants, shops etc.so the territory will have a full work force then employers would have to look outside the territory
Thank you Premier
How can one apply or get their name on the list.
First get some real job skills. Second, get some work ethics.
Just apply for job openings before getting the gift of being put on this list.
Thank you, Premier Fahie,for such an initiative!
This has been the great “underground railroad”, that expat employers have been using for years to avoid hiring our people!
Again, with this initiaitive, you are once again securing the homeland for BVIslanders; those at home, and those abroad!
Thank You, Premier Fahie!
Ausar, you are incorrect. It is better to employ locals as the company can start them sooner and do not have to pay work permit fees which are very expensive. HOWEVER the person applying has to want the job, turn up for the job, have pride in the job they are doing. We had a job advertised for 2 months, posted it on community board, hire BVI, in the paper, stating BVIslanders only. NOT 1 and I say not 1 person applied for the job. Why I do not know but you have to work weekends, you have to work public holidays, you have to work outside in the sun. So please do not automatically think that everyone is not trying to employ locals.
Curly is the pay comparable to the workload you are asking them to take on?
Most employers like when you can tell them everything that your coworkers are doing and saying about them. The Asian that they employ don’t even understand what’s been said and as a result the wrong message is taken back to the boss. Others don’t like the locals to have a clue of their earnings so they bring in outsiders. Employers don’t like locals on the job because they bring light to the outsiders about the injustice being done to them most times. I am a local, I work like a slave because I love to work. But as usual the rat gets the position along with the cheese.
You can help locals get jobs. But they have to be able to hold onto those jobs by themselves.
No doubt qualified locals should received preferential treatment in hiring. But employers know there is a large supply of motivated expats workers that is willing to work for less that they can exploit. Employers will make a low ball offer to locals that they know they will refuse and claim that they cannot find any locals. They will also claim that locals are lazy, feel entitled, non-punctual and takes too much time off and non-productive. I may get beat up for making such a statement but it does not change the belief. Enforcing this initiative will be challenging but Labor must get on and stay on it like white on rice.
Moreover, locals have to step up to plate and contribute to the success of the company, taking away employers excuses for not hiring them. One may get a job by government policy but one should demonstrate that they deserve to have been hired.
Further, here is a news flash. There are some jobs that Virgin Islanders are too proud to do, ie, sanitation jobs, domestic, restaurant worker……..etc.
It is obvious you do not have a business.
@QW, explain. Assumptions are easy. Statements without support don’t add any value to the discussion. If you have a different view/opinion than mine, let’s hear it. My view is just my opinion. And mi mah fraid to add meat to my opinion.
This should have been mandatory long time ago. There should not be any work permits issued for jobs that any person can do or where there are qualified persons on the islands. The larger companies with branches worldwide only seek work permits to get “their guy” someone that was chosen months before by their group manager. They never cared or considered anyone local or anyone else at all but labor department keep falling for the same tricks of false advertisement. Why in the world do we need Asian cashiers in the BVI then seeing post on the community board with people asking “if any job available.” The excuse about locals dont want to work is dismissible. We have seen the huge numbers of people that came out on the first day to sign up for jobs. The out of control work permit issuing has caused a negative ripple effect where even the cost of living is steadily increasing with landlords trying to see how high they can put the rent because they know people need a place to stay.
Funny comment about the Asian cashiers… Many times when you get a local cashier, they are rude, slow, bad attitude, don’t care, talking on the phone, talking to someone they know, etc. I am constantly making excuses to my tourist guests for the behaviour and attitude of the BVI people. People need to learn to be polite to any color paying you money and supporting our economy. They call it Hospitality for a reason. The ridiculous port fees are already hurting day boat tourism business here. If you can’t learn a better attitude, don’t expect to be hired in the tourist industry. We have excellent beaches, but so do St John and St Thomas. Maybe Premier Fahie can start a politeness campaign. It’s a package deal if you want to keep the tourist industry healthy. Don’t get me wrong, his idea in a perfect world is great. We are far from perfect here. As other people have said, this training needs to start early in school so people can learn a proper work ethic.
Locals don’t do that kind of work now. We did that decades ago. We are not going back there.
Many companies want to employ locals, why would they not, its quicker and you do not have to pay for a work permit. The problem is, in some industries they are not interested. We have advertised in many places, on many occasions and not one single person from the territory applies. Not all jobs are 9 – 5, Monday to Friday and in government, which is what most seem to want to do.
come on: you have to split this in two: the job categories that of course an abundance of BVIslanders can readily fulfil; and the industries where there is effectively already 100% employment of BVIslanders.
There’s a small number of lawyers, doctors, accountants etc compared to the numbers needed in a good economy for the BVI so they must always rely on imported labour – until BVI decides to make them PR (then Belongers).
Then, we should certainly have equally-qualified BVIslanders getting the jobs BUT, only if they can be bothered to apply, to turn up, to show a diligent and respectful attitude. Otherwise, employers need freedom to get teh right people for the job without delay and meddling that kills opportunities for companies to do business – thereby actually reducing opportunities for BVIslanders, particularly when the clients and the job move to a place where abundant good workers can be found.
What small number of lawyers you talking about? There is not even work for the lawyers any more, yet they come. I wonder how long they are gonna figure out the cheese move. Maybe when they deplete their fortunes they made in the BVI, they will stop being so delusional.
Dear Mr. Premir, I am happy for this initiative, it is a good move but I think you need to educate my young countrymen that the acquisition of a job is one thing but keeping the job rest heavily on their work attitude, having the skillset, being on time, and pushing to make the company productive. I had the chance of seeing some job applications and I was appalled at the grammar of some of the applicants. I felt sorry for them plus the prospective employer. Why not do detail feasibility on what the employers are looking for in their workplace? see it our people have it, if not train them. In other words, I will not employ any local in my restaurant if their speech is not good if they are unkempt or unprofessional in their dressing and more so if they do not have the skillset to make my Business be productive.
Well, well, well “Jim”, if you cannot spell the word “Premier” correctly, then you too, are in need of a few, good,English writing skills also!
But to get so downly on my people like that for spelling errors when you are not writing any differently than they: SHUSH!
Give our people an opportunity.
You may just be surprised at the returns!
Why all of a sudden the Premier trying to prove,locals & Belongers want specific jobs and pay.some employers are not paying more than they budget. U can say a 1000 jobs in a 1000 days, how much will stay on long? Still have to look outside …trying to keep people that voted happy..very sad makes no sense..when Rolans trying to run America..
Mr Premier, you are forcing me to take a local who does not want to work ? Take a look at the past few years, how many companies who have local bosses employed locals ab had to get rid of them ? Quite a lot I know because they do not want to work and just collect a pay, this wrong, if there’s work to do do it ! Don’t sit and be like I from hay I do a I want, nonsense! Some of them don’t even have the skills you need to get the job done too as well and they do not want to learn which is making work fall back on my business.
It’s because they know the government will find a job for them they have nothing to worry about that’s why they do not value a job because they know as long the government doing all the work in finding a job they have nothing to worry about.
Had a I wanted a local to the job i advertised would I have gone and put in a work permit for an expat ? Nope !
So Mr Premier stop doing the work for them and let them go out there an find the work them selves and learn the through value of it !
You talking pure manure. The locals are the ones that stay for 10, 15, 20+ years. Maybe the work permit situation might be a reason why others dont stay as long but most are mercenaries jumping from job to job and country to country.
You are thinking irrationally as if government is saying to hire a local without skills just because they are local. Every year the number of students that graduate is getting higher and the number enrolled in college as well.
Some of the business owners and service providers are the reasons why locals wont accept any job. You cant pay peanuts while the cost of living is sky high. Just because the minimum wage is law doesn’t mean you have to pay the minimum. Do the math you really think that anybody can survive in the BVI making $6 an hr in an 8 hr day, 20 days a month? Rent alone gone with that paycheck. Some of the other islands have it worse than us so they put up with being overworked and underpaid.
Well well. Well… Let see.. Do you believe that all student who. Finished the college have good skills? Speak proper language? Have nice grammar? Can work with a variety of Office Softwares? Just some questions. I know some teens that i feel sad for them and their parents.. Because are a total shame for our country..
@Carlos with your stupid logic how do we know that the people that we import that put all of these degrees on their resume can do all the stuff you mentioned. You are second guessing and discrediting the locals and seem to be holding them to a different standard.
Finally.
I will not employ the locals to work their attitudes must change. I have been there done that and my business almost failed. I am still paying back a loan to the bank there their errors. I am now considered successful and that came about by the hard works that were alotted to my local company because of the expatriates. Thank You, expatriate. You are all a breath of fresh air in my country BVI.
okay… everything is a domino effect. I hope y’all see that bvislanders are outnumbered in their country. And the outsiders are taking over. Bad attitudes? generalisation of every local. I’ve met many expats with poor attitudes.
Just like I’ve seen employers training expats on the job, they can do the same for locals.
I hope when the BVIslanders complain about their rights and the majority(expats) tell all of you to hush your mouth, that you kindly do so.
Look around how many locals can you pick out of the crowd? A lot of this country’s assets are falling into the hands of outsiders while we fight each other for the scraps.
When the ship sinks, neither the owner, the employees or the passengers are spared the sinking.
Moreover, there is never a “ghost ship” waiting to pick up those who cannot thread water.
How good is your comprehension and deep extrapolative thinking? Go figure, all those who are demonstarting such limited thinking.
Hush Yo Ms…Plenty Expats here don’t have one bit of manners. Face always screw. And the few locals here that don’t have born here but parents not from here so they pic up their parents duty behavior. i do see many grown adults smile and greet person good morning. Just the other they at the supermarket in the ghut I’ve ask the cashier “excused me good afternoon where can i locate an item” she reply it right here and continue speaking on her phone. when time me to catch i ask for the item and i turn to her and said the way u reacted when i address u was mannerly and i did expected back the same behavior she watch me and said sorry few days she came to my job to apply for a vacancy she ask way she remembered me from i said i not sure which i fully knows where. anyhow went back supermarket it was a slow day she came to me in the isle n said last week when i answered you i was dealing my kids back home and was frustrated i smile and said ok np. when time for i to cash she ask if i can help her to get the job at my job. I reply will try.
say all this to say don’t say locals have no manners and respect its a individual things and a lot of u manager don’t have so how u expect staff to have? it all start and the head!!!!!
[hotel] have already gotten the work permits for key positions. Even those the locals can do and are qualified to do. They bring in all these ppl and leave the low paying jobs for locals. Just wait and you’ll see that [hotel] will come running back to the same ones they’re putting on the side burner. The work permits were already secured by Pickering. You think they’re easy? Premier don’t let [hotel] big heads fool y’all.
The ndp really let us down. They could not stand up to the colonisers at all. The freed slaves managed to get rid of them and secured this space for us where we could finally live in peace. It wasn’t a big space but it was a space where a little boy or girl of color could call their own. And yet they allowed them to come back and try to colonize us again with systemic poverty while they collect big salaries. Someone mentioned a railroad oppression going on for decades where they hired their own and it is good to see it is breaking up.
Being “from here” is not a qualification. Locals need training and educating. Governments of the past has failed BVIlanders miserably; there are not enough opportunities and incentives for persons to work here. I have some questions:
will they work extra hours
will they stay on a job more than six months
please be reminded expats are hired because of a high demand for skilled and qualified workers.
TRAIN THE LOCALS, DON’T GIVE THEM HANDOUTS or else businesses will suffer.
Nobody is asking the important question. Why are there so many expatriate employers to begin with? You see what just happen the other day with Foxy.
I said the same thing! We have sold ourselves back into slavery. I thought I was the only one seeing it. Who owns the land and the businesses own the country. Locals are fighting for the scraps in our own country. The richer bvislanders just have the bigger scraps. Now, y’all bringing in the East Indians. Lolol and they already owning businesses (that was quick). Begging foreigners to hire us in our country. White people always marry locals with assets. The BVI belongs to the Foreigners, we are just taking up space in THEIR country.
@exactly!!!!, because we are busy seeking “Foreign Investment” (ownership) instead of looking Venture Capital. Connect local entities, with the same ideas & skills or the assets the Foreigners are looking for.. Imagine if we could build our own businesses instead of accepting $6 an hour jobs…. tack on all the “freebie incentives” – we didn’t sell our future, we”re buying it…
You will get the lazy, money wanting and hardworking, deserving of fair wage Belonged on that list but it it time we take care of our own.
Country put their people first that is just common sense for any leader of a country and especially as the BVI is over populated.
Terminate the work permits of some of those white racist who comes here as managers and want to treat locals like slaves.
Check some of those resorts who imports low skilled, low qualified folks as managers because they are white. The government really need to do a lot about this white permit thing.
Firstly good move,secondly I want the labor Department to investigate [hotel] hiring process. Workers from all over being issue work permit for supervisory position and refusing locals who are qualified for these positions. Lots are going on without notice.
(3) [hotel] needs to send a list of persons needed,a list of persons employed presently, a list of BVI being hired and positions. And reasons why BVI landers are not getting the first preferred. Also reasons why they didn’t hired BVI Landers who applied.
Local management, particular upper level hotel and tourism management positions have been set asides for Europeans and others since the inception of the hotel industry to present in the BVI.
That is at least sixty to seventy years of preferential hiring and treatment practices, including discriimatory economic disenfranchisement against the local.
It is time such practices are halted in the BVI. Hopefully, this initiative will address and change those practices forever.
So who going to use the knowledge they had paid for and train people to replace them easily and take bread from their mouth because they dont belong here?
There are or were some locals who was working and when mr. Myron had that register they same employed local went and put down their names saying they are seeking job.
Just look at the comments that are against this initiative. Falsely stereotyping locals as lazy and uneducated. Where are these people finding these locals that are lazy and uneducated? If you go to or live in the sty you will find some pigs.
A lot of the locals including the young adults have their own business and still working elsewhere. Some of them leave their 9-5 and you see them at night and they running taxi. These are facts. There is a high percentage of graduates from high school and college every year. These are facts.
I highly doubt these so called “employers” have any proven basis for their comments. Why would they hire “uneducated” employees? Why would they hire so many “uneducated” employees to make such a strong generalization that locals are uneducated. I doubt the majority of locals have been employed by said employer so their statement is null and void.
These comments are from cheap, selfish, bad minded people. Some come to the BVI but they only want people that look, speak and act like them to be around them. Some look elsewhere to places where the people are desperate for work and pay them significantly less than the normal wages.
Even if there was a problem finding locals, employers are now bypassing the Caribbean region and going USA, Europe and Asia to find bartenders, cashiers and basic clerks. This isn’t a problem with education and desire for work. This is a problem with the mindset of the employer or person doing the hiring.
The locals you are talking about are not on any list, they don’t need the government to get them jobs. If they do need a job they will go and apply for it. businesses do want qualified employees, they do not want to go through the huzzle of obtaining work permits. What this new rule does is empower the set of lazy people who for example don’t want to work at certain days and times forcing employers to hire them and stifle businesses. There are minimum wages set so how will an employer get away with paying less. Maybe employers are looking for people from Asia now because they are showing a better attitude then some down-island people when it comes to deal with customers.
Someone told me that the hospital need workers especially in the cleaning department
So why dont you apply for it
I realise that most locals have two passorts (US and BVI). Prime example the beauty queen who represented BVI and then recently went to USVI to represent there. The bible says it best no man can serve two masters. How can you want to work here for six months then hop on a plane or boat and work somewhere else for another six months and then you complain when an employer choose to hire someone that is more stable. There areany things to consider here my fellow BVIlanders.
Are they paying their taxes in the US.
You are doing just that. Didn’t you leave your country to come here and work? It is so sad that you people can’t work in your own countries. The jobs that you are coming here for were done by Virgin Islanders eighty years ago in Cuba and Dominican republic. We are not a stagnated people. That is why you are now coming here begging for work. It is strange that you own nothing in your country after all these years.
….1000 victimizations to fill those 1000. Net employment = 0
And with this single decision, the entire economy of BVI will be destroyed, slowly but surely. You can’t sit under a coconut tree hung over or high and expect tourists to pay you $700 a night for the privilege of staying in Nature’s Little Secrets. Without offering a world-class tourism product. If you’ve never attended hospitality school, a hotel training program, or a culinary program, how will you meet tourist expectations? On its face value this is a good decision for locals. Realistically there aren’t enough QUALIFIED LOCALS to meet the demand as the recovery continues and properties come online. Looking at these STRUPE COMMENTS should make it very clear to all involved that the BVI needs to elevate it’s hospitality game by EDUCATING LOCALS rather than assuming they can do the job simply because they are from BVI. Nothing could be further from the truth currently and it shows. If you ruin tourist expectations because you offer only local quality experience instead of world-class experience, you will only do damage, no matter how positive the intention.
Expats and locals all have a stake in the continued success of the BVI UNTIL SUCH TIME you require the hiring of unqualified staff for client facing tourism companies. Then it’s a disaster. I see lots of RACIST COMMENTS ABOVE. The premier should start by making the people investing tens of millions of dollars welcome so there are even jobs to apply for to begin with. Great ideas but poor execution plague the BVI.
Do all locals spend time sitting under a coconut tree getting high? Do most locals spend time sitting under a coconut tree getting high? What qualifications are you referring to specifically? What particular jobs are they not qualified to do? I’m sure the Premier is not expecting just any unemployed local to go in the hospital and be a doctor or step into a law firm and be a lawyer. The people that are getting high under coconut trees probably didn’t even apply for the jobs. This stereotyping of all locals is bigotry. By the way all of the people that signed up for the 1000 jobs in a 1000 days program received or will receive training that was part of the program. It’s just a bunch of uninformed and bigoted comments.
These comments really shed light on the views of these wana be slave owners.
You want to hire from abroad and slaves of people so that they cant leave your stinking work conditions.
Simple.
When the bvi-lander leaves because of bad conditions your fragile ego takes offense.
We recognize bad mind, bad conditions, we know our rights, and you know what else?
We dont need no slave master.
For my company, the best person to fit the team will get the job. I hope that’s a local and while that makes things “easier” to get things started, I want the best fit person to join my company. Not someone privileged in any way, whether it be race, gender or nationality.
As a voter, I will not support a government that tells me who will be a better fit for my company. That is just a long term nightmare and eventually will just make me want to do business elsewhere. It’s a big world out there.
However, programs designed to help aspiring BVIsla ders to become the best they can be to become employable or to just start their own comapny or to provide sustinace to our economy is something I support. Schools that nurture creativity instead of measuring uniforms, apprenticeships, sustainable economics and empathy are what we need.
Handouts don’t grow an economy any more than spoiling kids with too much candy.
Do you have scientific work? Any person with a brain can do your stupid job. But you don’t want to pay a fair wage and make up excuses that locals can’t do your job.
If you are caught skirting the system, your status should be revoked and you should be sent back home to endure the hardship that you fled from. In your case, you should take your business elsewhere.
A builder friend (born and raised here) complained to me some time ago about the lack of labor in the Territory. I suggested that he hire some local youths to train them with the notion that eventually they could become foremen. His answer….”People bahn here ain’t want to wuk”, so he mainly hires outsiders.
There is also another side. In a capitalist society, profit is king, so a crude way to manage this is to drive business costs down. One of the biggest costs in any business is usually wages. So we drive down wages to the least possible. Hiring outsiders allows local business owners to do that, and they do. Think about the adage of you get what you pay for.
if some of these anti and bigoted comments against the local might be coming from some who are on the Premier’s fast track list to BVI status. Wouldn’t put it pass some.
whatever!! yes local cant do xyz..How many of you EXPATS CAME TO THE BVI SAYING YOUR A QUALIFIED NURSE OR DR YET CANT EVEN SET A PATIENT TO B ON DROPS? HOW MANY OF YOU EXPATS COMES HERE AS A COOK, N CANT EVEN DO A PROPER SALAD? HOW MANY OF YOU COME HERE AS TEACHER AND CANT EVEN SPEAK A PROPER SENTENCE? SAY THIS TO SAY NOW HOW MANY OF YOU UP THE COLLEGE DOING COURSE AFTER YOU ALL ARE ON PERMIT FOR WHAT YOU ALL SAID YOU ALL CAN DO?
STOP CALLING DOWN ONE ANOTHER JUST FOR MONEY. BVISLANDER CANT GO YOU ALL COUNTRY JUST SO AND GET JOBS WHETHER QUALIFIED OR NOT RESPECT THE COUNTRY RIGHTS!
Caribbean. ppl can’t leave them s**t at the door when them come work..always some drama…If you can’t fix up..the private sector ain’t tolerating employees f-%#up them business.. work for Gov if you wild.The truth is worldwide good ppl hard to find.Grow some weed..if you can’t find work…that’s what survivor’s do.Have a lovely day blessup
What’s so interesting is that the list has people who are gainfully employed and they are uprooting others and placing their friends and followers in positions for which they have no clue. God is in control.