“I’m hopeful that we can create over 100 jobs during this season alone but persons have to sign up for the programme for this to be a reality,” Premier Wheatley stated today on Tola Radio’s Morning Braff radio show.

The RATED Programme is open to Virgin Islanders and Belongers. It seeks to provide short-term employment and training opportunities for persons between the ages of 18 and 65 who are unemployed or under-employed.

While speaking about the programme this morning, Premier Wheatley said interested persons may get in touch with their district representatives who can provide them with information to sign up.

Temp jobs could be created to clear any Labour backlogs

The Premier said the RATED programme will be looking to employ many bush cutters and persons for beautification works through the Public Works Department. But he reminded people that the programme will provide job opportunities in other businesses and government departments as well.

“There will be employment opportunities in the public service which are temporary. If there are opportunities for data entry or to clear a backlog of work permits, for example; we also want to use the RATED programme to create opportunities for things like that,” Premier Wheatley explained.

He added that the RATED programme will not pay stipends according to the current pay scales used by the public service. He said the programme has a special rate for participants that organisers believe is fair for the jobs opportunities that are being advertised.