Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. has proclaimed September as “Labor/Management Awareness Month” in the Virgin Islands to recognize the men and women who constitute the territory’s labor force and in tribute to their invaluable contributions to the economic, social and cultural development of the Virgin Islands.
More than 50,000 people make up the territory’s workforce, with 44,288 employed in three main sectors, including tourism, leisure and hospitality, and manufacturing.
The Great Recession, made worse by the unexpected closure of the Hovensa oil refinery on St. Croix, has left the Virgin Islands with a struggling economy and a staggering 13.2 percent unemployment rate that is expected to climb even higher in the coming months.
In uncertain economic times, the most predictable roads to recovery are education and training. Now, more than ever, the territory’s workers will have to prepare for other occupations in order to be competitive in this economic downturn and thereafter. Workers must adequately prepare themselves for job opportunities in the labor markets poised for expansion such as allied health, renewable energy, construction, information technology and entrepreneurship.
For this reason, Gov. deJongh has pursued partnerships between his administration, the Workforce Investment Board, the Department of Labor and employers to design and implement workforce development strategies to ensure the future employability of our workers, raise productivity and attract new industries to the territory.
“Through these partnerships, we have trained over 2,400 workers during the past three years in occupations ranging from bartending to construction to nursing. We have stepped up our re-employment activities through outreach, workshops and conferences. We are conducting more rigorous academic and career assessments designed to produce a better match between employer and employee,” deJongh said.
The Business Services Unit at the Department of Labor is assisting employers to strengthen their existing workforce to avoid layoffs. In addition, the Virgin Islands was awarded a National Emergency Grant of $7.8 million to address the training, retraining and employment needs of more than 2,000 laid off refinery workers.
“Together we can create an integrated, effective and accountable workforce delivery system that focuses on providing high quality, customer-driven training and services that are relevant to worker and employer needs,” de Jongh said.
In order to highlight these goals, several events are planned throughout the month by the V.I. Department of Labor and the territory’s two Chambers of Commerce.
DOL will host a customer appreciation event on Sept. 7, a Sunrise Walk-a-thon on Sept. 15 and a week of health activities from Sept. 24-28 providing health screenings and health education information, including how to cope with stress.
Additionally, the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Business After Hours and Health and Safety Outreach program on Sept. 11. The St. Thomas Chamber will hold a companion event on Sept. 27.
Governor deJongh calls upon Virgin Islanders to join him in observing Labor/Management Awareness Month and participating in activities, including the Business After Hours events and various workshops on workplace safety, customer service, employee/employer relationships and other activities intend to commend and educate the V.I. workforce.
