Infrastructure alone is not enough. The future depends on whether Virgin Islanders are prepared to seize the jobs and opportunities of tomorrow.
In the first two installments of this series, Virgin Islands at a Crossroads, I argued that the territory must act boldly to diversify its economy. Part I focused on the urgency of aligning with global shifts. Part II highlighted the extraordinary opportunity in St. Croix’s undersea cables, dark fiber, and energy potential to position the Virgin Islands as a digital hub.
But infrastructure alone is not enough. Cables, data centers, and power plants may create potential — yet the true measure of success will be whether Virgin Islanders are prepared to seize the jobs, lead the businesses, and build the innovations that flow from these investments. The next phase of our transformation must be about people.
Lessons from Our Past
Our history offers clear lessons.
When Cuba closed to U.S. tourists in the 1950s, the Virgin Islands became a tourism hotspot, creating thousands of jobs. But managerial and technical expertise often came from abroad, limiting how much wealth stayed in Virgin Islanders’ hands.
In the 1960s and ’70s, the arrival of Harvey Alumina and Hess Oil ushered in an industrial boom. Thousands of Virgin Islanders found work, but again, many of the specialized and higher-paying technical roles were filled by imported labor.
The lesson is unmistakable: unless we deliberately build homegrown talent pipelines, we risk watching outside expertise capture much of the value created here. This time, we must ensure Virgin Islanders — both at home and in the diaspora — are at the center of the opportunity.
The Skills of the Future
The AI and diversified clean energy revolutions are reshaping global labor markets. The Virgin Islands must align with the skills that will power these industries:
- AI and Digital Skills: coding, data analytics, cybersecurity, and machine learning.
- Diversified Energy and Climate Tech: solar and wind installation, grid engineering, battery storage, LNG operations, and next-generation technologies like small modular reactors.
- Blue Economy: marine sciences, aquaculture, eco-tourism, and marine technology.
- Entrepreneurship: local founders and innovators who can translate Virgin Islands ideas into global scalable ventures.
These are not abstract skills. They are the practical tools that will decide whether our people fill the jobs created by data centers, energy infrastructure, and new industries — or whether those jobs go to outsiders.
Building the Pipeline
To prepare, the territory must commit to a comprehensive talent strategy:
- K–12 Reform: Introduce STEM and AI curricula into schools as early as middle school. Partner with organizations like Code.org or Khan Academy to give students early exposure to digital literacy.
- Vocational Training: Expand programs that train solar and wind technicians, coders, data analysts, and logistics managers. Align with industry to ensure certifications lead directly to jobs.
- University Partnerships: Create scholarship pipelines with mainland universities, while also building online hubs to deliver cutting-edge courses to students who remain in the territory.
- Diaspora Talent Network: Incentivize Virgin Islanders abroad to mentor, invest, and return home — creating “brain circulation” instead of brain drain.
- Entrepreneur Incubators: Establish accelerators that give young entrepreneurs funding, mentorship, and exposure to global markets.
Policy Enablers
The government must also create the conditions for success. That means:
- Incentives for companies that hire and train local talent.
- Student loan forgiveness or tax breaks for Virgin Islanders who return after gaining skills abroad.
- Public-private partnerships to co-fund workforce development aligned with major projects in energy and digital infrastructure.
With smart policy, we can ensure that every major investment in infrastructure also builds human capital.
A Call to Action
Without talent, cables and power plants are just steel and fiber. With talent, they become the foundation of a new economy.
This is why the most important investment we can make is not only in megawatts or terabits, but in our people. If we fail to prepare, we risk repeating the patterns of the past — jobs created here, but wealth and expertise flowing elsewhere. If we succeed, we can create a future where Virgin Islanders lead the companies, invent the technologies, and build the prosperity of the next generation.
The AI and diversified clean energy revolutions will create thousands of new jobs worldwide. The only question is whether Virgin Islanders will be the ones to fill them.
This piece is part of the “Virgin Islands at a Crossroads” series, which invites Virgin Islanders at home and abroad to join the conversation on building a resilient, diversified future.
— Bernard Dyer is a Virgin Islander in the diaspora, technologist, and strategist with more than 25 years of public-sector experience, including 16 years with Booz Allen Hamilton supporting digital transformation at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He is also a monthly co-host on WSTX 970 radio’s Community Digest, where he highlights new ideas and best practices to help build a more diversified and sustainable Virgin Islands economy.
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.
