Above: TCI

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Turks and Caicos Premier Dr Rufus Ewing is calling on the territory’s tourism sector to give locals more opportunities for “meaningful gainful employment.”

He also said he was urging the Immigration and Labour Departments to “continue stepping up their efforts and enforce policies that will ensure that Turks and Caicos Islanders are given first priority and fair opportunities for employment in our vibrant labour market.”

While Ewing pointed to the TCI’s strong recent tourism growth, he said he was “still not satisfied that the level of economic growth is being felt sufficiently at the level of the local business community and the average Turks and Caicos Islander.”

“Even though there has been a reduction in unemployment since my Government took office, there is still vast underemployment and many qualified willing and capable Turks and Caicos Islanders are still without jobs, and many of those employed are not in positions relative to their level of qualifications, expertise and experience, and this is unsatisfactory,” he said.

He said that there was still “vast underemployment and many qualified willing and capable Turks and Caicos Islanders are still without jobs, and many of those employed are not in positions relative to their level of qualifications, expertise and experience, and this is unsatisfactory.”

While he praised businesses that continued to “employ and train Turks and Caicos Islanders,” he said he was putting those that were falling short on notice.

“This practice of overlooking my people stops here and it will no longer be business as usual,” he said. “Moving forward, I will expect your efforts to employ, train, retain, promote and pay Turks and Caicos Islanders to be genuine, earnest, strategic and meaningful, and this expectation applies to all businesses, public, private and statutory.”