At a joint press conference with the Premier on Friday, the Labour Minister said he was invited to be the keynote speaker at the launch of SHRM Virgin Islands (SHRMVI) — an organisation that focuses on the development of human resources in the territory.

“We launched at that time the initiative for which we are going to engage in a private-public partnership, where SHRMVI, the human resource managers of the companies throughout the BVI companies (like HireBVI), Mrs Rochelle Lawrence, and all the other persons that affect how the labour force is affected in this territory. We will join together to address some of the issues that we know are faced within the territory of the Virgin Islands and surrounding work permits, surrounding the workforce pool” Turnbull said.

“The Minister of Finance and leader of this country, [Dr Natalio Wheatley] has also endorsed the approach to have the Ministry of Education — together with the Department of Trade & Economic Development — join forces to help partner as we move forward to changing the way that we do business for customer service all the way to the way your work permit is processed and the way that employment is filled in this territory,” he explained.

The Labour Minister noted that while it is important the BVI continues to welcome others in the territory as they continue to help build the community and the nation, it is also important that the hundreds of students graduating from high schools in the territory, and those who have studied abroad, have something to return to once they’ve completed their studies.

“We have to ensure that our students have the part that they play in the workforce of this territory to continue to build it from strength to strength, so I’m excited about that,” Turnbull said.