Employment and training programme coming for Belongers
The government is getting ready to launch a programme that will provide training and employment for Belongers.
The programme known as RATED (Registration, Apprenticeship, Training, Employment, and Development) was formulated to provide services to Belongers who are unemployed and underemployed.
“The concept is providing individuals with training and apprenticeship opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills to become more marketable in the workplace. It also provides temporary employment opportunities in the public sector for activities like farming and beautification,” Premier Wheatley announced at a press conference last week.
Premier Wheatley said under the RATED programme, Belongers will also be provided with opportunities for self-development through life skills courses and access to motivational speakers.
Premier Wheatley said the large number of work permits generated for immigrant workers yearly is proof that the BVI has no issues generating employment. But he said there are still residents who remain underemployed and need help to upgrade their skills so they can thrive in the job market.
“This is what the RATED is designed to do. We’ll be having specific apprenticeship programmes where the government will pay a portion of stipends and a private sector employer will pay a portion and give persons an opportunity to learn on the job and we’re hopeful that perhaps the private employers will retain them. We will also be doing partnerships with the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College that already has programmes to help persons gain skills,” Premier Wheatley explained.
The Premier said more information on the RATED Programme will be provided to the public in the coming weeks.
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Yet for some reason you continue to shun the private sector as a partner in such an initiative! Why?
Please start with training them at ports of entry. They are rude and do not understand how to welcome tourists to the territory without shouting at them..
This is pure rubbish. Years ago, Myron Walywn started a program similar to this. In 2019, when VIP got in, they dismantled the program and replaced it with 1000 jobs in a 1000 days. Now this! You guys seriously need to stop playing politics with people and their lives. When is election?
So no difference between Belonger and Bvislander?
This bull every time election is near you guys come with some folly to grease the young people mind and after election the same young people guys are running from them .I have seen it happen to many time stop fooling the Young people only for you guys to get a seat I see young who was fooled by the former party and nothing has been done to help them all they get is empty promises
The YES (Youth Employment Services) program that was done under Hon. Walwyn as Education Minister with Rochelle coordinating the program was a very good program that Hon. Fahie totally dismantled once elected. Now they come with this RATED bulls**t trying to fool people? Sowande, Sharie and a few others better enjoy the last few months because no way they will be re-elected.
Please ensure the following unemployed candidates are also a part of that programme – RATED.
1. Public and Private High Schools and Primary School Drop Outs.
2. Adults attending the Alternative Education Programme (or night school)
3. Those ‘hanging around the block”
4. Certain clients at Social Development because of intervention proceedings and there are issues related to being unemployed and
5. Inmates who are about to or already released back into society.
Please do not simply advertise that this programme is available but actively reach out to government agencies to locate these participants. I recommend the following:
Liaise with the Ministry of Education and the Schools for the drop outs and the night school participants,
with Social Development Department intervention cases,
with the Prison Department for the inmates, and
with NPOs such as M.A.L.E., Boy Scouts, Boys Brigade, etc that mentor young boys and men.
We need to be proactive!
They care so much that the Government has stopped funding the Marine Studies program at the college training students in the skills they need to work in the marine industry, which is the only tourism product currently working.
This set of elected officials are tone-deaf and have no idea what is needed. The keeper o the check book needs to close it and only open it when the money will be spent on infrastructure.
FIX OUR ROADS, WATER, AND SEWERAGE!!!!!
Which department is responsible for this and what is the contact information?
Agreed 100%……But I don’t think they can be train…….it’s their true personality …..
Training on how to cheat, steal, be rude and the most inportant how to get away with it. Taught by the experianced, other belongers.
When will it be launched? Too much missing knformation.
And is at port of entry u want to put them .embarrassment they want
Where is the funding coming from?
Training in the public sector… do you mean training for existing staff or those currently unemployed – because those currently unemployed do not need to learn bad habits from many current staff members and government offices are already grossly overstaffed.
Training is very necessary here but you can only lead a horse to water. Big problem relates to the lack of good work ethics. That of course does not speak for everyone. Some people just need an opportunity to better themselves.
Funding transparency needed.
Another knock on Labour Dept. So instead of funding them so they can do their job we create another system to do what they already have a system to do but needs funding. This is a prime example why BVI just keeps going in circles.
The Departments that have no money to function. Go and interview the staff.
The departments that do not have money to fix those things. go and ask the staff.
talking about rude the training should be for locals theen to stop actitude and rudness fact!. must complain from tourist board is coming from locals rude so,,,, stop!enough
There is no term called BVIslanders.
This is great news, because every time the local who works for me goes for coffee, I have to retrain her.
I hope I will get a job as a tutor in the wellness Spa industry.
The term Belonger smells of racism in reverse! The many European, North American and other people not born in the BVIs must feel segrated and not wanted when terms like this are used. Surely there is a better word or phrase to use than “Belonger”. I have a son who has lived on Tortola since around 2009 and he works very hard and contributes much to island life. He stayed on after the 2017 hurricane, feeling that he owed the island his carpentry skills in the effort for the BVIs to recover from the very damaging event. To call him a Non Belonger is an insult!