The fifth annual Governor’s Workforce Development Summit drew large crowds to the Caribbean Cinema on St. Croix on Tuesday.
The theme this year is “Sun, Sand, and Success,” said one of the moderators and a member of the Workforce Summit Asiah Clendinen Gumbs. The summit allows professionals, innovators and leaders a place to gather to discuss strategies for achieving work excellence in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Also moderating the event, Michael Fazio, president of “Workforce 180,” said that this year’s summit saw the largest registration and a record number of students present. “The students are here to hear from all our great speakers and learn why life in the Virgin Islands goes beyond schooling.”
Present in the audience were Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., senators, commissioners, directors, entrepreneurs, and other professionals. “We are giving out strategies for work excellence today,” said Gumbs.
“Success means something different for everyone, so I want you to develop your definition of success by the end of the day,” she continued.
Some topics discussed included education and training in the transportation industries, the future of the workforce with AR/VR and AI and charting a course in entrepreneurship and business opportunities in the maritime sector.
The Chairman of the Workforce Development Board, Michael Carty, shared a success story that highlighted the positive impact of the summit. He mentioned an employee he discovered during a community employment outreach in 2016. Carty provided an opportunity to Shalana Charles, who went on to become the employee of the year. He applauded her dedication and recognized her achievements.
“With success you need three things. Number one you have to make a promise to somebody, Number two you have to make a promise to yourself, and number three you have to convince somebody to make you a promise,” Carty said.
Commissioner of the V.I. Labor Department Gary A. Molloy, who was also present, provided some insightful statistics and numbers relating to unemployment.
“Just to talk specifically about St. Croix I looked at the Virgin Islands workforce system and in the St. Croix workforce there are 18,000 strong and about 17,000 employed and 750 showing unemployed. The unemployment rate on St. Croix is about 4.1 percent, down from 4.5 percent last month,” said Molloy.
Molloy stated that these numbers were consistent with the goals outlined in “Vision 2040” by the administration. He mentioned that the study projected that achieving a 4 percent unemployment rate would essentially mean reaching full employment statistically.
Molloy also acknowledges that there are still many people who are unemployed. “We are working to make sure in conjunction with our partners we are working to fill those gaps.” Currently, Molloy stated that there are 321 vacancies, including 57 in government positions and 16 specifically at Frederiksted Healthcare. “This is an opportunity to network like a professional,” he said.
A variety of job opportunities and employers were present at the summit. Representatives from the V.I. Labor Department, V.I. Energy Office, USVI Division of Personnel, USVI American Job Center, and others attended.
The governor also gave plenty of advice to the attendees. “When you are networking you better know what you want. Define your success. The hardest thing to figure out is what you want,” Bryan said.
Bryan also referenced a popular movie, “The Matrix,” while discussing how some of us are programmed. “Public assistance is the Matrix. Your job is the Matrix,” he said.
“What did you sign up for?” the governor questioned the audience. “Are you drifting aimlessly through life hoping that something is going to come, or do you have your hand on the rutter and guiding your ship to where you want to be,” Bryan said.
“This is the time when it is up to the individual to decide what your destiny is going to be,” he said.
The Governor’s Workforce Development Summit 2024 will continue on St. Thomas at the Caribbean Cinemas from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday and on St. John from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday at the Cleone H. Creque Legislative Conference Room. The events are free, but attendees are encourage to reserve a seat by registering at https://viwdb.vi.gov.
