Mather says young graduates returning home told to “wait six months”

Territorial At-Large Representative Stacy Mather stated that young Virgin Islanders who leave the territory to pursue higher education often return home only to be told to wait months for employment opportunities.

Speaking during debate on the 2026 budget estimates, Mather said he recently spoke with a local who had that experience.

“Yesterday, I had a conversation with a Virgin Islander who returned and was told six months,” Mather stated.

Mather said the experience highlights a wider problem facing young people who follow the long-standing advice to leave the territory, obtain qualifications, and return home to contribute. He said education was once viewed as the clear pathway to opportunity in the Virgin Islands, but many young people are now finding that promise unfulfilled.

“When a young person in this territory cannot exit, go to college, get a degree and come back,” he said.“That’s why they leave.”

The at-large representative told the House that these delays are pushing young people to consider opportunities elsewhere. He contrasted the situation locally with experiences abroad, noting that some Virgin Islanders can “hit the ground running” when they relocate overseas. “If we do not make it affordable, if we do not bring it back to our people, who are we going to give it to?” he asked.

Mather warned that when young people struggle to find work at home, the territory risks losing its future workforce. He said young people are increasingly questioning whether there is space for them to build careers, own property, and establish long-term roots in the Virgin Islands. “When you make it too far for your people to reach the fruit, they are going to go somewhere else,” he said, using a metaphor to describe the challenges facing returning graduates.

He also pointed to slow processes within government systems as a contributing factor, saying delays in approvals and employment decisions undermine confidence among young people eager to work. Mather said the territory must move beyond encouraging young people to return home and ensure that systems are in place to absorb their skills and training.

He added that the 2026 budget should deliver tangible results for young people seeking to start their working lives at home.