Premier negotiating with cruise lines for jobs, up to 6K vacancies available
Government is one step closer to securing jobs in the cruise industry for interested locals.
Premier Andrew Fahie said he opened talks with cruise companies when he led a delegation to Florida, USA for the 2019 Seatrade Cruise Global Conference early last month.
“We actually have negotiated and are finishing negotiations with the ships so that any person in the Virgin Islands who want to actually work on a cruise line, whether it be in culinary, in the offices or wherever the case may be; even for the bands,” the Premier said.
He added: “There are some policies we have to put in place in certain legislation, so we are reviewing them. They told us that if we can do that, and our people are willing to have employment; on one of the cruise liners, they have up to 6,000 jobs.”
Fahie, who has responsibility for tourism, did not disclose the name of the cruise line willing to offer that many job opportunities. He, however, noted that those many vacancies would easily allow government to fulfil its election promise of creating ‘1,000 in 1,000 days’.
Premier Fahie also revealed the prospects of a possible training programme for residents interested in pursuing a career in the cruise industry.
“We also negotiated with the ships, that the marketing money that we have collected for them here that is stored. One of the cruise liners actually wants to complete discussions with us to invest some of that if not all, into the marine programme of our young people to train them to be captains for a certain tonnage and even all the way up to cruise liners,” the Premier said.
He was speaking in the House of Assembly last week.
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This is a good start however its not really job creation is it. The cruise line is the job creator not the bvi government. These 6000 jobs are available to anyone around the world not just bvi.
Re the training, you can’t just get a captain’s ticket and rock up and take charge of a cruise liner, this takes years and are competing with ex naval captains etc, so good luck with that.
Sensible post you have there. These 6000 jobs are available to the worldwide population. It will be very ambitious of us to get 100 of our people interested, tooled and hired in this area. Its great exposure for us, but I don’t believe the cruise ships will hire 1000 of us! Plain and simple. Fahie needs to keep it real and state how he intends to jump start the local economy. We are waiting to hear.
Very few of our people will be prepared to serve cocktails to tourists – we much prefer to sit in GOVT offices counting paper clips and surfing the internet. There is nobody here or anywhere else with a licence to be an officer on a cruise ship that is not already employed on a cruise ship.
I agree, it is a misleading headline. The jobs are not here in the BVI – they are working on the cruise ships. I don’t know too many locals who like the idea of being away from home for 10 months a year working on a boat for low wages. But we’ll see how many are encouraged to apply based on the Premier’s recommendation.
I think that this is just another opportunity being opened up for the people of the BVI to be gainfully employed. I commend the Premier for his efforts.
His efforts what did he do on his jolly to the USA, did he pick up a few job application forms from the cruse company or did he sell some locals to the big white man so they can be taken away from their home on a big ship .
Earning money in another country and sending it home? Surely not. All the money should be kept in the country it is earned
Seems to be what is said every day here.
How would expected NHI, Social Security, and Pension contributions to our various BVI government entities be handled or will these be waived through legislation being considered? Will this be useful to BVI islanders actually born in US? Would participation to NHI, Social Security contributions , Payroll taxes etc. be waived but the employees still be able to receive benefits thereby contributing to the unsustainably of these public services. Probably the reason why governments never made this kind of representation in the past. Just thinking.
At least the Premier is looking out for his people. Why the past Administration did not think on this or do it? Give the man credit and stop hating.
To say you’re creating jobs for the jobless without ensuring that the unemployed is properly prepared to bring value to these jobs is a falacy.
Let’s be honest. Employers are willing to hire people only if they have the requisite skills, not because the premier says hire them. The Youth Employment Services is the best approach in tackling this problem. A good idea/policy remains a good idea even when it’s author is from the opposing party.The premier’s goal is admirable but unsustainable.
The seed is planted so lets see if it bear fruits
Yes what an opportunity if it can truly happen both sides can benefit two folds. let us hope BVI or individuals wouldn’t have to give away more than one will need.
This is laughable!!!! Ironic how as soon as there’s mention of a resort/hotel development, the first thing is that locals don’t want low paying jobs. Now we are vying for cruise ship jobs? Must be nice!
Please try to bring them back!
Awesome news, Premier!
Not only will our people secure employment, but they get an opportunity to travel the world while doing it!
Great, great news for our people!
Brilliant move by our Premier once again in securing the future of the homeland for our people!
What nonsense is this? Does this make sense to anyone? The cruise lines will employ whoever is best for their business. They do not make preferential allowances like how we make here and how other countries make for their citizens. BVI is a drop in the bucket of the cruise line business overall so we don’t even have bargaining power in that respect if they were prepared to bargain. Mr. Premier, if your were serious about doing anything, you would spend the time on building up our people in the hospitality industry to a higher level. Invest the monies there instead of buying a new Cadillac and giving Claude political payback. Once you elevate our people to the highest level possible then let them go to the cruise lines or wherever and seek employment.
These silly PR stunts just to capture the minds of people who do not know what’s going on will backfire. Stop traveling all over the place like you never been on a plane and settle down and do some actual work.
..They fooled the voters to win so they have to continue fooling them to remain there without backlash.
The people wasn’t fooled. Instead we the people are pleased to have a Premier and a government who is going abroad and negotiating on our behalf unlike the last Administration that negotiated with these same entities for themselves and family. GOOD GOING PREMIER!!!
Negotiating what??? Do you think the BVI were the only attendee at seatrade?
It is because of people like you who exist with blinders on why we get ourselves into predicaments we have no business being a part of.
The headline was misleading and the words coming out of Fahie’s mouth were misleading.
Punctuation counts for a great deal. Check the punctuation on what he said to get the full essence of what he told you.
And when you do, you will understand that it was essentially nothing!
That’s what happens when you go on the political platform making all those lofty pie in the sky promises without a clue as to how those promises will be fulfill should you be success at the polls. 1,000 jobs in 1,000 days is no easy feat in this 2X4 place. Going to the cruise lines to beg jobs for your people – seriously? Cruise ship jobs are a dime and dozen and can be pursued by an individual directly with the cruise line if that is what they are interested in. We need to hear your plans for job creation right here on the ground in the BVI.
Good luck getting BVI landers to take any job on a ship that’s not the Captain’s position…
WARNING!!! these jobs are already available to anyone from the BVI, what he is doing is messing with wage brackets.
Europeans can only go in at Chef de Partie Level or above ,
Asian countries trainee, commis chef.
If he agrees that the BVI is an emerging country it will curtail wages nothing more.
He is dealing with things he knows nothing about.
Why persons like you can’t just admit that the effort is noble and done with it. This is not the only area of opportunity for employment that the Premier is exploring I am sure but the point is that the government is working in the best interest of their people to ensure that the BVI has zero unemployment. The Premier must be applauded.
these opportunities already exist he has done nothing for the BVI people that wasn’t already available.
What he will do if he is not careful is set the BVI in a lower wage bracket like other countries.
Read what I wrote, I have insight and knowledge with experience in this sector.
This is just political fluff, nothing more and the sheep graze happily!
@true, what the blogger “true” said is correct.
While the Premier is doing his best. We have to be realistic.
I think it is important to note the following:
1. Whatever jobs that may come about from that effort, they are unlikely to be local, and will contribute little directly to the local economy.
2. As mentioned by an earlier blogger, those 6000 jobs reportedly currently open are open to anyone including BVI Islanders right now if they can meet the cruise ships requirements.
One of those requirement of course will be the ability to legally travel to the U.S. unless they are seeking cruise work in far away places that does not require transit thru an American port.
The majority of cruise lines calling on Caribbean ports operate primarily out of Florida (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, or Port Canaveral).
3. As previously mentioned, working on a cruise ships requires very long hours and long times away from family and home. I don’t know how many BVIslanders may subject themselves to such working conditions.
Additionally, the wages are notoriously low on most cruise ships, but tips from cruisers may add up to make a decent overall compensation for ones effort.
4. Most of the staff on cruise ships come from some of the poorest countries around the world from my observation and query. In my cruise experience, I have never seen a person from more affluent countries waiting on me.
Nevertheless, a job is a job. If you need a job and you qualify, it’s an option. Money is money.
That being said, I cannot imagine the Premier claiming any cruise ship job as one of the 1000 he pledged to create in 1000 days if they are not local jobs which I do not foresee. The only local job I can envision perhaps lies in a few local booking agents.
The cruise lines runs a tight ship. They are not inclined to give up market share on anything when it comes to money. They are driven by profits.
If the Premier wishes to keep his promise of 1000 jobs in 1000 days, may I kindly suggest he focuses on the infrastructure of the country and the hospitality industry as a start. Cruise ship jobs would not cut it.
The clock is ticking.
A little info.
https://www.cruisejobfinder.com/fm/cruises/cruise-ship-job-considerations.php
This link is from a recruitment site. If you work on a ship you do work about 12 hours per day 7 days a week. If you do work below deck, that is where you will be the entire time since you do also live below deck. You are not allowed to spend time on the other decks, mingle with the passengers and you probably only see the sun on your day off, whenever that happens every 2 weeks. Even if you work in Entertainment they will also have you work during the day, you accompany tours or they find work on some customer service station for you. It is not a bed of roses at all that is why you mostly see Filipinos, Indonesians and Indian’s working there.
Even if these jobs are out there for anyone the point is that we have a leader who has gone out there and secure a portion for his people. That is what a true leader does.
What portion is secured? You should be ashamed to be posting this nonsense. The article said he is seeking work for our people it didn’t say he secured work. And guess what? he can’t secure no work for nobody on a cruise ship so if you are waiting for one of those jobs secured by Andrew then you will have moss growing on your bottom. Then again you might like it because moss is green.
Oh yeah. Does Fahie know that jobs on these ships are HARD WORK.
12 hour days, 6 days a week, constantly pleasing the customer and your superiors and taking orders. You’ll share a tiny cabin no bigger than a rabbit hutch with another person so no privacy or personal space. I’d like to know one ‘local’ that would give up their privileged life here in the BVI, where all ‘born here’ are big fish in a very tiny pond, and go to work on a cruise ship where they’ll just be one of many tiny fish in a huge sea. Ain’t gonna happen.
6000 jobs minus 1000 jobs = A 5000 job surplus…. Well done Mr. Premier.. Clap Clap Clap… As much of a gimmick as this might be, it’s actually an employment opportunity and an opportunity to travel. So even if nobody goes for it you can’t say that he didn’t try….
The problem is not finding work, the problem is finding people who want to work.
And that’s the same problem in most countries.
Isn’t this literally shipping locals overseas? Can the wages they receive be taxed locally? Will the employees spend money locally? How will this benefit the BVI? Shouldn’t the Government try to create/find jobs that will be mutually beneficial to the employee and the country? You might as well say you’ll find jobs for them in the US or UK!
B U I L D
A
PROPER
S C H O O L!
Shut up about faking “opportunities” until you have a school up to global standards, resourced by good, experienced teachers.
Until then you (both parties of bandits in successive governments) are continually cheating generations out of opportunities here and across the world.
Oh and get the telecoms providers to provide a proper service affordably to give us a chance.
here here
Tired of his gimmicks already .He so bad he has me missing MYRON.
What foolishness some of you talking. The Government isn’t in 8weeks and some of you want them to fix the mess the NDP left afyer 8 years.