The British Virgin Islands’ draft national employment policy approaches final technical stage

ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Island (ILO News) — The British Virgin Islands’ (BVI) proposed National Employment Policy (NEP) is approaching the end of its technical drafting process after nearly two years of consultation, labour-market analysis and stakeholder review.

Members of the Technical Drafting Committee and ILO technical Specialists, met virtually on 8 July 2026 to review and validate the draft policy and discuss the institutional arrangements needed to move it from formulation to implementation. The next proposed steps include final public consultations and dialogue with employers, as well as Cabinet consideration, establishment of an implementation structure and preparation of a detailed action plan.

In her opening remarks, Co-chair Natalie Fahie-Smith and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Financial Services, Economic Development and Digital Transformation, said the meeting represented a possible conclusion to the committee’s drafting work. “This could very well be our final meeting,” she said, thanking those who had contributed through meetings and written feedback on successive versions of the document.

A policy built on evidence and consultation

The draft NEP was developed with technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO) following a request from the BVI Government in February 2024. With ILO’s confirmation of support in April 2024, the policy development roadmap was agreed between the Government and ILO later that month. Between July and November 2024 an employment diagnostic was conducted to establish the evidence base for the policy. Over the course of four meetings the Technical Drafting Committee reviewed the findings and guided the drafting process, successfully building cross-ministerial ownership for the anticipated NEP. The iterative process was also supported by consultations with other government institutions, employers and trade unions.

The draft policy responds to several challenges identified in the employment diagnostic, including high reliance on migrant labour, underutilized local labour, skills shortages, youth and gender disparities, geographic constraints and weaknesses in labour-market information, work-permit administration, social dialogue and public employment services.

It is organized around four strategic areas:

• attracting and retaining labour;
• building skills and employability;
• enhancing social protection and support; and
• strengthening institutions and governance.

Together, the four pillars are intended to provide a coordinated framework connecting employment policy with economic planning, education and training, social protection and the future needs of the labour market.

Expanding pathways to skills and employment

Proposed priorities include a national youth-employment action plan, expansion of the RATED Programme, stronger school-to-work pathways through intent-to-employ agreements, internships and apprenticeships, and improved conditions in essential occupations. The policy also emphasizes lifelong learning, recognition of prior learning, employer investment in training, and opportunities for workers to reskill and upskill, with particular attention to digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and the skills needed for tourism, financial services, and the blue and green economies.

Albert Wheatley, representing the Premier’s Office, reiterated the intentional focus on young people who needed support, not only to enter the labour market but also to progress after securing employment. “We don’t just want people to get a job; we want them to be successful and advance in the workplace,” Wheatley said.

Better data to guide implementation

Improved labour-market data will be critical to the NEP’s implementation. The draft policy therefore includes as proposed actions conducting regular labour-force surveys, strengthening statistical capacity and improving the collection and analysis of information on vacancies, skills shortages and employment trends. ILO Employment and Labour Market Specialist, Abdelmalik Muhummed reminded the meeting, “you cannot monitor the implementation unless we have a baseline.” He emphasized that reliable data would be necessary to both measure progress and guide future workforce planning.

Moving from policy to action

The proposed implementation framework includes setting up a tripartite (involving government, employers and workers) National Employment and Partnership Council, supported by a Secretariat within the ministry responsible for labour. The council would guide annual priorities, review implementation, support social dialogue and help align activities with available budgets. Early implementation priorities include preparing a detailed five-year action plan, initiating improved labour-market data collection and strengthening social dialogue with social partners on youth employment, skills, social protection and other priority areas.

The ILO will continue to support the British Virgin Islands as national institutions translate the National Employment Policy into action, strengthen labour-market systems and build the partnerships needed to create better employment opportunities, improve workforce skills, protect workers and develop a more resilient and responsive labour market.

This engagement reflects the ILO’s broader commitment to deepen its relationships with British and other overseas territories in the Caribbean and to provide accessible, needs-based technical and policy support that advances decent work and strengthens labour-market institutions across the region.