Gov’t to help RATED participants build careers, says Premier
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has said there are plans to create careers for individuals in the Registration Apprenticeship Training Employment and Development (RATED) programme.
Premier Wheatley gave that indication in the House of Assembly recently while responding to comments made by the Territorial At-Large Representative Stacy “Buddha” Mathers who criticised whether the programme entailed more bush cutting than job creation.
“The RATED programme will evolve. It is now under the Ministry of Financial Services, Economic Development and Digital Transformation,” Wheatley commented.
He stated that he also has plans to expand the programme beyond landscaping.
“We’re going to have a stronger partnership with the workforce development in Labor,” he said.
Premier Wheatley added that while he appreciates that individuals can have gainful employment under the programme, he has plans to ensure they have sustainable jobs.
“What we’re going to do is transition those persons into having a career,” Wheatley continued.
The RATED Programme, introduced to tackle unemployment and beautify the territory, has two components: landscaping and apprenticeship.
However, Mather suggested that the programme was falling short of its potential. He noted that more creative solutions were needed to address employment challenges, particularly for young people interested in non-academic paths.
According to Mather, some 233 young people were employed in the RATED programme. However, he was surprised that only a few were engaged in apprenticeship. “Apprenticeship sounds good. Would you believe of the 233 individuals, 19 of them, a whopping 19, were assigned to apprenticeship programmes?” Mather asked at the time.
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While discussing the Rated Program, I feel it’s important to highlight a pressing issue that undermines its purpose: the behavior of some individuals hired for bush cutting. These workers, unfortunately, leave behind a trail of trash in the very areas they are tasked to beautify. Snacks, lunch wrappers, water bottles—everything they bring with them often ends up discarded on the roadside. This defeats the purpose of the beautification efforts, turning cleaned-up areas into littered zones.
It’s not just the bush cutters, though. Many residents contribute to the problem by carelessly throwing trash anywhere and everywhere. What kind of community sees efforts to maintain and uplift our territory but chooses to litter instead? Once the bushes are cut, the mess hidden beneath becomes glaringly visible: bags of trash, Styrofoam containers, bottles, cans—you name it.
We must do better, both as individuals and as a community. Bush cutters, please take pride in your work and dispose of your trash responsibly. Residents, let’s stop turning our beautiful spaces into dumping grounds. Respect the efforts being made to keep our environment clean.
Come on, Jah man—we can do better. Let’s work together to maintain and uplift the beauty of the BVI.
There’s that Duh, not a clue look. Smoke and mirrors my friends
You are a day late and a dollar short Sir.