New Labour Commissioner to be in place next month, says minister

Deputy Premier Lorna Smith has indicated that a permanent Labour Commissioner could be in place as early as next month.

The current Acting Commissioner, Mervin Hastings, was recently moved to the post and has been credited for overseeing the paperless transition within the department.

Business owners complained bitterly in the past that work permits were taking months to be processed, but this is expected to change in the coming weeks.

“We are modernising the Department of Labour and Workforce Development with a new Labour Management System (LMS) to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and enable online applications and payments starting in June 2024,” Smith said last week.

She explained that the LMS goes beyond streamlining work permit processing and provides valuable data to identify skill gaps and develop targeted workforce development strategies.

“This data will empower us to forge stronger partnerships with educational institutions and employers,” Smith added. “Together, we can also optimise opportunities for Virgin Islanders and Belongers to actively participate in the workforce.”

Smith told lawmakers earlier this year that the initial phase of implementing the digital platform for work permit processing occurred in 2021. However, she said this pilot project was discontinued because of capacity constraints within the Labour Department.

New insights gained from the design and rollout of the original prototype allowed the ministry to procure comprehensive labour management software and transition management support services.

Smith said this new software will address workforce management and work permit functions.