USVI Needs 5,000–7,000 Workers
A panel of nine industry leaders warns the US Virgin Islands will need an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 workers to deliver planned recovery projects, highlighting shortfalls in both skilled and general labour, support services and administrative capacity. Officials say attracting the diaspora, ramping up training quickly and scaling local contractors will be critical — lessons with clear implications for neighbouring BVI communities facing similar workforce pressures.
A group of nine industry experts convened recently to assess the workforce and business conditions needed to complete large-scale recovery projects in the US Virgin Islands (USVI), and concluded the territory will need an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 workers. The panel included major contractors, Labour Commissioner Gary Malloy and Port Hamilton Director David Johnson, and identified gaps that go beyond raw headcount: skills, support services, housing and administrative readiness.
Contractor James Benton pointed to weaknesses in the supply chain and support services that are essential to construction, naming a shortage of surveying companies, material testing facilities, trucking firms and dumpsters. Lisa Anders of MCN Build warned that the territory simply does not have enough people, skilled or unskilled, and urged officials to assess whether housing, transportation and other amenities exist to attract workers back home or from abroad.
Labour Commissioner Gary Malloy says local capacity alone will not meet demand. He and other panellists stressed the need to align workforce development efforts to the immediate timeline for recovery work, noting there is little time to produce experts through long training programs.
Moderator Michael Carty said learning will need to be ‘‘truncated and accelerated’’ and workers placed into jobs quickly. Benton added that reliable general labour and soft skills — showing up, teamwork and punctuality — are as important as technical ability, since on-the-job training can fill some skills gaps.
Private sector leaders also raised competition concerns. Richard Difede of Gold Coast Yachts warned local firms will have to compete with major contractors paying federal wage levels, and lamented the absence of stable workforce development pipelines that attract youth into trades.
To close the gap, the Department of Labour is exploring incentives to persuade US Virgin Islanders living abroad to return, while avoiding further erosion of the tax base. Malloy said many returnees are motivated by more than money — home ownership, conveniences and lifestyle weigh heavily in decisions.
Carty suggested asking diaspora communities directly what would convince them to come back. Panel members discussed scaling up local contractors. Firms such as Suffolk and Haugland say they plan to award substantial volumes of subcontracts — Suffolk estimated more than 600 over 24 months — but local companies often struggle with the administrative and financing capacity needed to bid and perform.
Benton proposed an ‘‘incubator’’ model to fund administrative and technology upgrades so local firms can respond quickly to large contracts. What this means for the British Virgin Islands: the region faces a shared labour market and competition for skilled trades, accommodation and transport.
BVI policymakers and businesses should consider accelerating training programmes, bolstering support services and exploring regional coordination to capture opportunities from recovery work while protecting local communities from labour and housing shortages.
Primary source: VINO